How 'just following orders' affects our capacity for empathy and guilt
, Molly Crockett gave people a chance to pay money to reduce shocks to themselves or to an anonymous other. Most actually paid more to reduce the pain of others than they paid to reduce their own pain. One of the reasons why the pain of others is so aversive to us is that our brain is.
, we had people participate in pairs. Participant A went into the fMRI scanner to measure brain activity, while participant B went in front of a camera, with electrodes connected to their hand. Participant A could now decide whether to give, or not to give, little shocks to participant B, knowing that for each shock to B, A would get 5 cents. The shocks were unpleasant, but tolerable, and A could see B’s hand twitch each time they gave B a shock.
Empathy related brain activity while observing a victim receive a shock was reduced while obeying ordersThe results were quite striking. The vast majority of participants never disobeyed an order to deliver a shock, and gave the full 30 shocks they were ordered to give. In contrast, on trials in which they were free to choose, they only delivered 23 shocks on average, deciding not to give shocks on more trials than they decided to give shocks.
These results help us understand the terrifying mystery of war atrocities. We are all empathic beings who normally suffer when we harm other people. But if we obey the orders of others, this empathy is reduced. Our conscience is dulled, and the brakes on our violence are weakened.Caspar EA, Ioumpa K, Keysers C, Gazzola V. Obeying orders reduces vicarious brain activation towards victims' pain [published online ahead of print]. Neuroimage. 2020;117251. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.
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