Comments on: Here’s an extraordinary story to ponder http://www.oxfordschoolblogs.co.uk/psychcompanion/blog/here%e2%80%99s-an-extraordinary-story-to-ponder-39/ Psychology: The Online Companion Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:51:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Adrian Frost http://www.oxfordschoolblogs.co.uk/psychcompanion/blog/here%e2%80%99s-an-extraordinary-story-to-ponder-39/comment-page-1/#comment-18 Adrian Frost Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:56:25 +0000 http://www.oxfordschoolblogs.co.uk/psychcompanion/blog/?p=39#comment-18 Viewing the youtube clips really brings home how horrific this case was - something belied by the oft-reference to a 'prank'. If there wasn't so much evidence it'd be tempting to view this as an urban myth, it's so horrifying. It would be easy for us over here to roll our eyes and say : 'only in America' - believing, as we do, that American society is so kind of hyper-exaggerated version of our own and that it 'couldn't happen here' - but of course Milgram's point was that it could happen anywhere... Interesting though, is that the orders were given over the telephone,. because in Milgram's research this factor was specifically viewed as dramatically reducing obedience. The manager's behaviour can be viewed as driven by situational factors such as the 'foot in the door' escalation of demands, but surely it's tempting to view the fiancee's actions as driven by something deeper? I think poor Louise Ogborn may have fallen prey to a frightening combination of two psychopathic personalities that night.... Viewing the youtube clips really brings home how horrific this case was – something belied by the oft-reference to a ‘prank’. If there wasn’t so much evidence it’d be tempting to view this as an urban myth, it’s so horrifying. It would be easy for us over here to roll our eyes and say : ‘only in America’ – believing, as we do, that American society is so kind of hyper-exaggerated version of our own and that it ‘couldn’t happen here’ – but of course Milgram’s point was that it could happen anywhere…

Interesting though, is that the orders were given over the telephone,. because in Milgram’s research this factor was specifically viewed as dramatically reducing obedience.

The manager’s behaviour can be viewed as driven by situational factors such as the ‘foot in the door’ escalation of demands, but surely it’s tempting to view the fiancee’s actions as driven by something deeper? I think poor Louise Ogborn may have fallen prey to a frightening combination of two psychopathic personalities that night….

]]> By: ScottW http://www.oxfordschoolblogs.co.uk/psychcompanion/blog/here%e2%80%99s-an-extraordinary-story-to-ponder-39/comment-page-1/#comment-17 ScottW Thu, 06 Mar 2008 21:45:06 +0000 http://www.oxfordschoolblogs.co.uk/psychcompanion/blog/?p=39#comment-17 This is mind boggling that the very first thing that wasn't done was for the manager to say to the person on the phone "I'll greet you at the door when you get here", and then hang up. Most people in our country understand that law enforcement has policies, procedures, and codes of conduct that are followed to perform their normal duties like any other job. This includes approaching suspects in person (not over the phone) and making any necessary arrests if needed. Law enforcement does not enlist the help of any civilians to perform their duties which is also the case for any public safety officer such as firefighters, EMT/Paramedics, The total lack of common sense causes pause and makes me wonder how a "manager" of a store and subordinates under his/her control even got hired. This is mind boggling that the very first thing that wasn’t done was for the manager to say to the person on the phone “I’ll greet you at the door when you get here”, and then hang up. Most people in our country understand that law enforcement has policies, procedures, and codes of conduct that are followed to perform their normal duties like any other job. This includes approaching suspects in person (not over the phone) and making any necessary arrests if needed.

Law enforcement does not enlist the help of any civilians to perform their duties which is also the case for any public safety officer such as firefighters, EMT/Paramedics,

The total lack of common sense causes pause and makes me wonder how a “manager” of a store and subordinates under his/her control even got hired.

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