Audio tapes reveal mass rule-breaking in Milgram's obedience experiments (psypost.org)

An analysis of original audio recordings from Milgram’s obedience experiments found that participants who reached the maximum shock level almost never followed the full, step-by-step protocol of the stated memory test. Instead, they repeatedly skipped or disrupted parts of the procedure—such as talking over the learner’s protests—suggesting the experiment’s “legitimate” framework collapsed into ongoing, rule-violating shock delivery. The authors argue the experimenter’s lack of intervention may have helped sustain a coercive dynamic, though they note the tapes cannot reveal participants’ internal motivations.