The Psychological Approach
Looking at the Holocaust psychologically has become popular among historians in recent years. The psychological approach is designed to explain why the perpetrators (Nazis) acted in the ways that they did and how people could murder their fellow man. The psychological approach was explored in landmark books like Eichmann in Jerusalem by Hannah Aredit, Ordinary Men by Christopher Browning and Neighbors by Jan T. Gross.
Two important psychological experiments influenced our knowledge of the Holocaust, the Milgram Experiment and the Stanford Prison Experiment.
Two important psychological experiments influenced our knowledge of the Holocaust, the Milgram Experiment and the Stanford Prison Experiment.
The Milgram Experiment
I have prepared a brief video on the Milgram Experiment and its significance. Included in my video are recordings from the Milgram Experiment.
Future Plans for the Milgram Experiment and This Website
Stanford Prison Experiment
The Stanford Prison Experiment, partially a response to the Milgram Experiment, was conducted in 1971 to analyze the power relations between prison guards and prisoners. In the experiment, the guards were instructed not to physically harm the inmates, but they were allowed to do anything else to keep order. The professor heading the experiment, Philip Zombardo, briefed the guards by saying, "You can create in the prisoners feelings of boredom, a sense of fear to some degree, you can create a notion of arbitrariness that their life is totally controlled by us, by the system, you, me, and they'll have no privacy ... We're going to take away their individuality in various ways. In general what all this leads to is a sense of powerlessness. That is, in this situation we'll have all the power and they'll have none."
Within days, the experiment began to go south, 1/3 of the guards began to experience "genuine sadistic tendencies", verbal abuse was rampant and many of the prisoners were emotionally traumatized. Only one guard questioned their morality during the entire experiment. The experiment was called off by professor Zombardo was forced to end the experiment early. The experiment has been used to discuss Cognitive Dissonance Theory and the role of authority. Zimbardo also created a spectrum of guard behavior, where 1/3 become "cruel", and a few did not punish, but a vast majority merely followed the rules. The experiment has many implications for Holocaust studies. The first and foremost is how power could have warped the minds of the Nazis and their collaborators. In fact, many concentration camp survivors mention how the Kapos, Jews placed in positions of power within concentration camps, were more brutal than their Nazi counterparts. Second, Zimbardo's guard spectrum can also apply to the Nazis who committed crimes. Some Nazis were cruel, and some where against punishing the Jews, but a vast majority merely followed what they were told. This perfectly springs off of Milgram's views of obedience.
Within days, the experiment began to go south, 1/3 of the guards began to experience "genuine sadistic tendencies", verbal abuse was rampant and many of the prisoners were emotionally traumatized. Only one guard questioned their morality during the entire experiment. The experiment was called off by professor Zombardo was forced to end the experiment early. The experiment has been used to discuss Cognitive Dissonance Theory and the role of authority. Zimbardo also created a spectrum of guard behavior, where 1/3 become "cruel", and a few did not punish, but a vast majority merely followed the rules. The experiment has many implications for Holocaust studies. The first and foremost is how power could have warped the minds of the Nazis and their collaborators. In fact, many concentration camp survivors mention how the Kapos, Jews placed in positions of power within concentration camps, were more brutal than their Nazi counterparts. Second, Zimbardo's guard spectrum can also apply to the Nazis who committed crimes. Some Nazis were cruel, and some where against punishing the Jews, but a vast majority merely followed what they were told. This perfectly springs off of Milgram's views of obedience.
Why Does this Matter?
When looking at the Holocaust historically, one has the tendency to think, "Oh, I am not a Nazi, we have advanced so much since then, we could never do that now." Ironically, that was the exact thoughts of the Germans in the 1930's and 40's who had one of the most technologically advanced societies of the time. It is important to recognize that factors related to genocide (power and obedience among others) are still prevalent today. Thus, it is still important to keep on guard to prevent genocide from occurring again.