Asked by Bayley Bowman Marshall on May 07, 2024

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Applied to a situation like the torture of Iraqi prisoners in Abu Ghraib, Milgram's and Asch's findings would indicate that

A) there was a serious breakdown in respect for authority that caused soldiers to violate the international standards for treatment of prisoners.
B) the cause of the American soldiers' inhumane treatment of prisoners is partly a result of the structure of the situation and group pressure.
C) American soldiers would commit torture only if following a direct order with fear of punishment for not carrying it out.
D) soldiers are more sadistic than the average college student or American citizen.

Abu Ghraib

A prison in Iraq that was the site of notorious human rights abuses by U.S. military personnel against detainees during the Iraq War.

Milgram's

Refers to a series of psychological experiments conducted by Stanley Milgram, which measured the willingness of participants to obey authority figures.

Group Pressure

The psychological force exerted by a group that encourages individuals to conform to its norms and expectations.

  • Familiarize oneself with the nature of groupthink and its implications throughout history and in today's world.
  • Outline attribution theory and distinguish the frequent errors made in attributing behavior in social contexts.
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MH
Monica HeadenMay 13, 2024
Final Answer :
B
Explanation :
Milgram and Asch's findings both suggest that people's behavior can be heavily influenced by the situation they are in and the pressure they feel from others in their group. The structure of the situation in Abu Ghraib, such as the lack of clear guidelines and supervision, may have contributed to the soldiers' inhumane treatment of prisoners. Group pressure and conformity may have also played a role, as soldiers may have felt pressure to conform to their peers' behavior or follow the orders of higher-ranking officials. However, it is important to note that individual factors, such as personal beliefs and values, may also contribute to behavior in any given situation.