======Milgram's Obedience to Authority Experiment======


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**Alternative titles:** Authority Compliance Activity
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Begin reviewing a past lesson or homework assignment.  
  - Casually introduce an odd but harmless instruction (e.g., pencils must be kept on laps instead of desks).  
  - Progressively issue stranger instructions (e.g., feet on the desk rail, snapping a pencil in half).  
  - Provide short, barely plausible explanations for each instruction (e.g., “a study shows breaking pencils relieves stress”).  
  - Deliver the instructions as part of the flow of class to minimize discussion or questioning.  
  - Observe who follows the orders, who resists, and how reactions shift as the tasks escalate.  
  - After the last instruction, ask one compliant student why they obeyed and one resistant student why they did not.



====Links==== 

📄 Milgram’s Obedience Experiments: Don’t Be Too Shocked!  - U4SC: [[https://academy4sc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/39/2020/02/Milgrams-Obedience-Experiments-Google-Docs.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com]]\\


====Variations====
  * Use a peer or another adult to give the instructions instead of the teacher, and compare levels of obedience.  
  * Have different groups perform different unusual tasks and compare compliance rates.  
  * Run the activity across different age groups or class settings to test how obedience changes.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Avoid instructions that could cause harm, distress, or destruction of personal property.  
  * If requiring an object to be broken (e.g., snapping pencils), provide inexpensive materials.  
  * Ensure students are debriefed immediately afterward so they understand the false explanations were part of the lesson.  
  * Frame the exercise carefully so students don’t feel coerced into uncomfortable actions.




====Questions to Consider====
  * Why did some students obey even when instructions seemed unreasonable? (Obedience to authority, fear of standing out, trust in the teacher’s authority.)  
  * Why did others refuse or resist? (Critical thinking, personal values, skepticism of authority.)  
  * How does this classroom exercise compare to Milgram’s original obedience studies? (Both test willingness to comply with authority even when orders conflict with personal judgment.)  
  * What lessons can we take about blind obedience in everyday life and history? (Risks of harmful conformity, importance of questioning authority.)