Final answer:
Milgram's research indicates that volunteers administered shocks in his experiment due to obedience to authority rather than personal aggression. Participants obeyed orders even when these orders conflicted with their moral values, displaying the strength of authority over individual conscience.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Milgram (1974), it is incorrect to believe that volunteer subjects administered strong shocks because of their built-up aggression. The reasons for participant compliance were not rooted in a desire to harm others, but rather in the willingness to obey authority. In the Milgram Experiment, participants felt compelled to continue administering shocks, not because of innate aggressive tendencies, but because they were following the instructions of someone they perceived as an authority figure.
Milgram's study showed that ordinary people could carry out tasks that conflicted with their personal conscience under the direction of authority. This obedience was due to the influence of the authority and the situation, not a sudden manifestation of personal aggression. In fact, many participants exhibited signs of extreme stress and conflict during the experiment, which indicates that aggression was not the driving force behind their actions.