What aspect of human behavior does the Milgram study highlight?

The Milgram study prominently highlights the influence of authority on human behavior. Conducted in the early 1960s by psychologist Stanley Milgram, the research investigated how ordinary people could commit acts that conflicted with their conscience when instructed to do so by an authority figure. Participants in the study were led to believe they were delivering increasingly severe electric shocks to another person as a part of an experiment on learning, despite hearing distressing reactions from the supposed victim.

The findings demonstrated that a significant proportion of participants were willing to obey the authoritative figure's instructions, even when it resulted in potential harm to another individual. This obedience to authority was a critical insight, illustrating how individuals might suspend their moral judgment in compliance with perceived authoritative commands.

In the context of the other answer choices, while group dynamics, cognitive dissonance, and the bystander effect may all relate to human behavior in various ways, they do not directly capture the essence of what Milgram’s research uncovered about authority’s powerful role in shaping actions. Thus, the correct answer reflects the core theme Milgram explored, which is the tendency of individuals to follow orders given by someone perceived as an authority, often leading to surprising and concerning outcomes.