What is a potential psychological conflict faced by individuals in Milgram's study?

The potential psychological conflict faced by individuals in Milgram's study stems from the tension between the desire to obey authority and the inclination to avoid causing harm to another person. In his experiments, participants were instructed to administer what they believed were increasingly severe electric shocks to a participant (who was actually an actor). This situation created a moral dilemma for those involved: on one hand, they felt a strong pressure to follow the orders given by the authority figure (the experimenter), which aligned with social norms about obedience and compliance.

On the other hand, as participants witnessed the apparent suffering of the person receiving the shocks, they faced the instinctive response to stop inflicting pain. This conflict between following authority and the ethical impulse to prevent harm showcases a fundamental aspect of human behavior in morally charged situations. The results of the study highlighted how many individuals would prioritize authority over their own moral beliefs, illuminating the complexities of obedience and ethical decision-making in a structured social environment.

Other options do not address the specific moral and ethical dilemma presented in Milgram's work. The focus is specifically on the interplay between authority and personal ethics, which is central to the findings of the study.