Opening Skinner's Box Analysis

Whether it’s a grandmother or teacher, politician or security, preacher or scientist; we all have the tendency to listen to those who have more power than us. Or at least think that we do. If a man in an officers uniform tells you to do something, you are more likely to act then if a man in tattered old robes and reeks of trash tells you to do the same task. You wouldn’t even think twice. Lauren Slater, in her book “Opening Skinner’s Box,” explains the experiment done by Stanley Milgram. He had attempted to weed out obedience from the people in his experiments. His findings, although not equation-worthy, changed how people looked at social psychology. Some say the acts done in those simple rooms were horrific, but there was no doubt that they …show more content…
It may have been that idea behind our blind faith is what has kept this experiment alive for so long, but why? We are followers, but can a little knowledge change that? Maybe just a little? In June 1961, Stanley Milgram set out ads in the newspapers for a supposed memory test. Instead, the subjects were being tested for obedience. Specifically, obedience to authority. The volunteers came in and met their supposed test partner who was, in truth, an actor. They then were given their compensation of four dollars, about 31.50 in today’s money. The experiment itself was conducted by a “scientist” in a lab coat. He then explained that the subject was to read aloud word pairs and have the other “subject” respond with, hopefully, the correct answer. If not, then the subject was to deal a shock of increasing voltage per wrong answer to the …show more content…
We take in visual cues to determine how we should assess a situation. For most, a lab coat and a clipboard is enough to hand over one’s freewill. For a third of people, they can still get it back once it’s given. But for others, they were trapped within the moment, and could not remove themselves from the task. They let the stress consume them to abandon moral judgment in able to complete a horrific action. The people who once engaged themselves within those halls, have scars that have scarce faded after so many years. Joshua Chaffin, one of the subjects, told of his experience. Saying that he never even imagined it was fake, that he was being deceived. He only rose to 150 volts before ending it for himself. It’s painful to know that there are so many people like him, with the memories still playing on loop in their brains (Slater 49-50). All those people who, when they look at their grandchildren, and haunted by their imaginary actions. They feel in their hearts that they had committed murder. Even after they were told it was all fake, it felt real to them. They hit the switch over and over again. They listened to the screams and continued on anyway, as if they couldn’t hear