Obedience

=** Obedience ** =

==== Definition: Obedience is the tendency to comply with the commands of those in authority. ====

====Obedience occurs when you change your, judgments, or actions because someone in a position of authority told you to. The key aspect to note about obedience is that just because you have changed in some way, it does not mean that you now agree with the change. ====

====The Milgram Experiment was research on obedience. This experiment started after Milgram observed Adolph Eichmann who was in charge of organized killings of Jews in World War II. During Eichmann's trial he used the excuse that he was just following orders. Milgram questioned whether or not Eichmann was just following orders of authority or if he wanted to act the way he had. It is arguable that Eichmann was obedient to his authority and killed all of those Jews because he was just following orders and not because he agreed with it. After this Milgram wanted to do more research on Obedience so he set up an experiment that would show how obedient every day people were. He set up a shock system where a random selection of men would ask someone in another room a question and if they got the question wrong the men would shock them. This experiment was to see how far a person will go when they are told to do something by an authority figure. ====

====-To read more about the details of the Milgram Experiment go to this website or watch the video below--> http://psychology.about.com/od/historyofpsychology/a/milgram.htm ====

====Obedience happens all the time in todays society. Everyone is obedient in some way. Everyone has gone along with the crowd and done the "cool" thing to do in fear of not being accepted. This is an example of obedience because the majority of people (the authority) make you want to act a certain way. You act this way to comply with authority and not because you actually want to do this. This happens daily because people feel the need to be obedient and comply with social norms and listen to authority even if one doesnt agree with what they are doing. ====

====This is also common at Needham High School. When a teacher or authority figure asks a student to spit their gum out or to stop talking most students will comply with these demands, not because they actually want to stop chewing their gum or stop talking to their friend but because an authority figure is giving the orders. ====

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Works Cited Cherry, Kendra. “The Milgram Obedience Experiment .” //About psychology//. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. . “Obedience .” //Psychology Glossary//. N.p., 2012. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. .