Bad Examples: How Thinking About Blind Obedience Can Induce Responsibility and Courage

摘要

The effect of watching a documentary film about Milgram's obedience experiment on personal responsibility, civil courage, and societal engagement in a student sample was examined in two studies. In Study 1, after watching the film, the perception of personal responsibility and the inclination to show civil courage were increased after watching the film. The change in personal responsibility was associated with the experience of higher negative affect after watching the film. In Study 2, instructions for students' reflections on the film were varied from writing about reasons for the behavior of Milgram's participants as originating in the person versus in the situation. Intentions to get involved in a volunteering project teaching civil courage to high-school students were highest for those who reflected on reasons for Milgram's participants' behavior originating in the person.