Comments on: The Obedience Experiments at 50 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2011/10/obedience-experiments-50/ The official Derren Brown Blog Mon, 07 May 2012 09:24:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Daz http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2011/10/obedience-experiments-50/#comment-95920 Daz Sun, 06 Nov 2011 19:04:23 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=17167#comment-95920 I think it's safe to assume 100% participation, it's the whole point of the show. A majority is just more than half. Would have been nice to include the actual results though. I think it’s safe to assume 100% participation, it’s the whole point of the show. A majority is just more than half. Would have been nice to include the actual results though.

]]> By: Kyle Butler http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2011/10/obedience-experiments-50/#comment-95912 Kyle Butler Sun, 06 Nov 2011 17:07:35 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=17167#comment-95912 Greetings from Canada, England's unwanted child. I noticed in the Remote Control experiments some tallied results of audience voting you would state the percentage, in others you would simply call it a majority. Isn't this a disingenuous way of presenting results? I thought the whole point of your episode was to illustrate how mob mentality works, but the audience wasn't really calling the shots, were they. If a population makes poor choices because they are lead there with deceit and misinformation, this is not the fault of mob mentality, it's the fault of poor leadership. I am curious to know what more about your terms for what constitutes a majority. In a vote with 50% participation, 26% of the total voters can be the majority. Greetings from Canada, England’s unwanted child.

I noticed in the Remote Control experiments some tallied results of audience voting you would state the percentage, in others you would simply call it a majority.

Isn’t this a disingenuous way of presenting results? I thought the whole point of your episode was to illustrate how mob mentality works, but the audience wasn’t really calling the shots, were they.

If a population makes poor choices because they are lead there with deceit and misinformation, this is not the fault of mob mentality, it’s the fault of poor leadership.

I am curious to know what more about your terms for what constitutes a majority. In a vote with 50% participation, 26% of the total voters can be the majority.

]]> By: Mark Whitener http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2011/10/obedience-experiments-50/#comment-94444 Mark Whitener Fri, 21 Oct 2011 23:16:50 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=17167#comment-94444 How does someone in the U.S.A watch the Assassin episode tonight - I don't get channel 4 from Britain Thanks for responding How does someone in the U.S.A watch the Assassin episode tonight – I don’t get channel 4 from Britain
Thanks for responding

]]> By: alan http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2011/10/obedience-experiments-50/#comment-94330 alan Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:43:43 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=17167#comment-94330 "we have a powerful propensity to obey authority." What do you mean “we” ? Bossy boots! “we have a powerful propensity to obey authority.”
What do you mean “we” ? Bossy boots!

]]> By: Berber Anna http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2011/10/obedience-experiments-50/#comment-94198 Berber Anna Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:50:17 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=17167#comment-94198 Batholemew: How he got away with harming exactly nobody, by checking to see whether people would administer shocks they didn't know were fake? It's not exactly awesome ethics, but I don't think it's cruel enough to be banned by an ethics board even these days. And as I said above, Derren actually replicated the Milgram experiment in The Heist five years ago. Most subjects obeyed, even today, as long as the scientist assured them that the shocks would not be lethal. Some cried and wanted to stop, but went on when they were told that 'it is of vital importance that you finish the test'. One guy happily flipped all the switches, then asked 'is this as high as it will go?'. That kind of scared me. Batholemew: How he got away with harming exactly nobody, by checking to see whether people would administer shocks they didn’t know were fake? It’s not exactly awesome ethics, but I don’t think it’s cruel enough to be banned by an ethics board even these days.

And as I said above, Derren actually replicated the Milgram experiment in The Heist five years ago. Most subjects obeyed, even today, as long as the scientist assured them that the shocks would not be lethal. Some cried and wanted to stop, but went on when they were told that ‘it is of vital importance that you finish the test’. One guy happily flipped all the switches, then asked ‘is this as high as it will go?’. That kind of scared me.

]]> By: Batholemew http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2011/10/obedience-experiments-50/#comment-94187 Batholemew Tue, 18 Oct 2011 09:12:43 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=17167#comment-94187 I can't believe he got away with these experiment's 50 years ago. There was a lot of cruelty, but we learnt so much. I wonder what derren would do today if he could get away with it haha. I can’t believe he got away with these experiment’s 50 years ago. There was a lot of cruelty, but we learnt so much. I wonder what derren would do today if he could get away with it haha.

]]> By: Berber Anna http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2011/10/obedience-experiments-50/#comment-94164 Berber Anna Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:52:38 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=17167#comment-94164 miep: Actually, that wasn't Stanley Milgram. That was a replication of the experiment by Charles Sheridan and Richard King, published in 1972. Jason: Is 2006 recent enough for you? Derren replicated the experiment in The Heist. miep: Actually, that wasn’t Stanley Milgram. That was a replication of the experiment by Charles Sheridan and Richard King, published in 1972.

Jason: Is 2006 recent enough for you? Derren replicated the experiment in The Heist.

]]> By: Jason http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2011/10/obedience-experiments-50/#comment-94157 Jason Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:11:23 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=17167#comment-94157 I'd be interested to know if this were to be replicated in todays society - whether people would still have the same attitude/response.. It seems to me that society has changed a great dela since those early times and that people are more than willing to stand up to authority. There is much less fear and far less respect than I imagine existed in the 60's. I'm a Police Officer and this comes from experience. Most people I deal with question any direction given to them. It's hard enough to close a road at an RTC nowadays without people stopping in the middle of busy roundabouts etc to ask why they can't be given access. And that's really a gentle example. :) I’d be interested to know if this were to be replicated in todays society – whether people would still have the same attitude/response.. It seems to me that society has changed a great dela since those early times and that people are more than willing to stand up to authority. There is much less fear and far less respect than I imagine existed in the 60′s.

I’m a Police Officer and this comes from experience. Most people I deal with question any direction given to them. It’s hard enough to close a road at an RTC nowadays without people stopping in the middle of busy roundabouts etc to ask why they can’t be given access. And that’s really a gentle example. :)

]]> By: miep http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2011/10/obedience-experiments-50/#comment-94156 miep Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:03:18 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=17167#comment-94156 Did you know that Milgram did the obedience study with live puppies as well? They were given lethal doses of shocks, but you don't hear many people about that. Did you know that Milgram did the obedience study with live puppies as well? They were given lethal doses of shocks, but you don’t hear many people about that.

]]> By: sailor http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2011/10/obedience-experiments-50/#comment-94152 sailor Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:11:44 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=17167#comment-94152 That was an interesting experiment, it basically how how susceptible people were to authority and orders. Notice Americans, who pride themselves on being civilized had no problem waterboarding terror suspects. But in some way the Stanford Prison experiment was even more telling about human nature, becaswe it just involved roles not direct orders http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_prison_experiment That was an interesting experiment, it basically how how susceptible people were to authority and orders. Notice Americans, who pride themselves on being civilized had no problem waterboarding terror suspects.

But in some way the Stanford Prison experiment was even more telling about human nature, becaswe it just involved roles not direct orders
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_prison_experiment

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