What was the significance of the Milgram experiment?

The significance of the Milgram experiment lies in its demonstration of obedience to authority. Conducted by psychologist Stanley Milgram in the early 1960s, the experiment sought to understand how far individuals would go in complying with instructions from an authority figure, even when those instructions conflicted with personal conscience and ethical standards.

During the experiment, participants were instructed to administer electric shocks to a "learner" whenever an incorrect answer was given. Despite the learner's apparent distress, a notable percentage of participants continued to administer shocks up to potentially lethal levels simply because they were told to do so by the experimenter, who represented an authoritative figure in a lab coat. This profound finding illuminated the extent to which ordinary people might engage in harmful behavior when directed by an authority, raising important questions about moral responsibility and ethical behavior in hierarchical situations. This has had lasting implications for understanding obedience in various contexts, including military, workplace ethics, and other social dynamics.

The other options, while relevant to various psychological concepts, do not encapsulate the core finding of Milgram's work as succinctly. The experiment did not primarily focus on conformity in groups, nor did it emphasize situational ethics in the same way. Additionally, it had no direct focus on teamwork or its benefits