Obedience - The Stanley Milgram Experiment Definition: In 1961 and 1962, Yale University psychologist Stanley Milgram performed a famous series of experiments which demonstrated that about 2 out of 3 people will perform a cruel action towards another person if instructed to do so by someone whom they regard as an authority figure.
This demonstrated that most people are prone to doing something they do not want to do, even something they would normally regard as "wrong", just because they are told to do it by an assertive or authoritative person. Description: In the Milgram experiment, participants responding to an advertisement were asked to participate in what was described as an experiment about learning and punishment. The participant "teacher" was then seated in front of a fake "electrical shock machine" which had switches labeled in 15-volt increments, from 15 to 450 volts. Stanley Milgram's fake "Shock Machine" "Please continue teacher. " "Obedience" by Stanley Milgram. Giraldi, William. "Unseen and Unheard." The New York Times. The New York Times, 28 Aug. 2011. Web. 16 Dec. 2012.
"Learned Helplessness." Learned Helplessness. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2012. Learned Helplessness Research This page has a listing of Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman’s books and other publications on the topic of Learned Helplessness. This page also has numerous links, including: Links to Article Abstracts Links to Book Publishers Links to Scientific Journals If you would like to see a complete listing of Dr. "What Is Learned Helplessness?" About.com Psychology. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2012.
Answer: Learned helplessness occurs when an animal is repeatedly subjected to an aversive stimulus that it cannot escape. Eventually, the animal will stop trying to avoid the stimulus and behave as if it is utterly helpless to change the situation. Even when opportunities to escape are presented, this learned helplessness will prevent any action. While the concept is strongly tied to animal psychology and behavior, it can also apply to many situations involving human beings. When people feel that they have no control over their situation, they may also begin to behave in a helpless manner.
The Discovery of Learned Helplessness The concept of learned helplessness was discovered accidentally by psychologists Martin Seligman and Steven F. In order to investigate this phenomenon, the researchers then devised another experiment. Crispin, Jessa, and Jesse Ball. "In 'Curfew,' A Compelling Brain-Teaser Of A Novel." NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2012. The CurfewBy Jesse BallPaperback, 208 PagesVintageList Price: $14.95 Part 1 There was a great deal of shouting and then a shot. The window was wide open, for the weather was often quite fine and delicate during late summers in the city of C. Yes, the window was wide open and so the noise of the shot was loud, almost as though it had been fired in the room itself, as though one of the two people in the room had decided to shoot a gun into the body of the other.
This was not the case, however. Those were their methods of employment. In the street beyond the window, it was very shady and pleasant. One minute after the gunshot, the street was empty. I shall introduce this city and its occupants as a series of objects whose relationship cannot be told with any certainty. ˆIt was a school day and so, after a while, the two in the room began to stir.