Which famous experiment is known for studying obedience through authority figures?

The Milgram Compliance Experiment is renowned for its exploration of obedience to authority. Conducted by psychologist Stanley Milgram in the 1960s, this study tested how far individuals would go in obeying an authority figure, even when asked to perform actions that conflicted with their personal conscience. Participants believed they were administering electric shocks to another individual as part of a learning experiment, demonstrating a remarkable tendency to follow instructions from a figure perceived to hold legitimate authority, despite the moral implications involved.

This experiment highlighted significant themes within sociology, such as the impact of social influence and authority on individual behavior, revealing how ordinary people could engage in behavior they typically would consider unacceptable if directed by an authoritative figure. The findings sparked extensive discussion about ethical responsibility, the nature of obedience, and the influence of situational versus dispositional factors in human behavior.

In contrast to the other experiments listed, such as Asch's study on conformity, Zimbardo's Prison Study focused on the dynamics of power and group behavior within a simulated prison environment, and the Bystander Effect by Darley and Latane examined how individuals respond in emergency situations, highlighting different aspects of social psychology.