Having read somewhere on the fuse that a common thread among TPTB is studying Sociology, I think that there was a direct allusion to the Milgram Experiment in tonight's episode.

Many of you will remember this from Psych or Soc 101...Milgram was trying to get insight into the role of obedience to authority; following the Halocaust and during the cold war, this was a hot button topic. In the experiment, an unwitting subject would read word pairs and ask for correct responses from the phony "subject" (an actor). If the faux subject made an error, the researcher would tell the unwitting subject to give an electrical shock. Each wrong answer would result in more voltage, with the faux subjects feigning first pain then eventually passing out from shock. The results are fascinating, as many continued to administer lethal voltage at the urging of the researcher; the experiment is cited both for breaking ground in social research and as a case study in how to (unethically) mess with someone's head.

Anyways...the tension shown by Locke as he was ordered to press the button was priceless. We see him visibly doing the equation of which action will result in the least harm - to himself and to others. This seemed to be a great character insight, for we see the facade of "island Locke" break down when he was presented with a puzzle he could not solve.

...and WTF did the number reset mean...?!

Thanks for bringing me back to Sociology! (I majored in it in college)

Completely forgot about that experiment, but I know what you mean. I thought he was hesitant because he was afraid he was going to blow up the hatch, or wherever Kate was. (Was Jack already walking around at that point?)

Awesome observation, and good final question: it was a time reset, right? Conting down every 108 minutes, it looked like to me; I still need to go back and re-watch the epi, though. Makes you wonder what would have happened had he NOT pressed "execute" in time.

For some reason, I'm having visions of Bill Murray as Peter Venkman doing the electrical shock "therapy" on the subjects during the opening of Ghostbusters.

As far as the 108, someone said on another thread that the lottery numbers add up to these numbers. What they have to do with the timer and the computer, your guess is as good as mine.

I just did a search on Milgram because I was toying with the idea that Desmond's purpose was observation; that everyone was there as part of an elaborate experiment testing human behavior. I had a "Doh!" moment when I read the initial post - Locke did seem to exhibit the same reaction as the Milgram participants when ordered to push execute - just like in Milgram's experiment, he did buckle when pressed by an authority figure...

Oh my gosh - absolutely. Watching last night's episode totally made me think of Milgram's experiments.

I thought it was funny that the Orientation tape doesn't tell you what will happen if you do NOT perform your task correctly. A typical orientation will also make sure you know the consequences of poor performance. That is why I do buy into the fact that this is a behavioral experiment a la Milgram!

Even more interesting is this: Is hitting "Execute" more a leap of faith, or more simply "following orders"?

Sociologist checking in here. I was just thrilled to see all the references to social science research in the first three epis this season. The sociology of the Lostaways has always been a big draw for me.

Funny how I was just studying the Milgram experiment in psychology.

Locke's role-reversal in Orientation was interesting...he went from the manipulated subject obeying the authority figure in Adrift to the manipulator trying to get the reluctant subject to complete the task.

Orientation, the tasks that Desmond and Calvin/Kelvin were put to, the final showdown between Locke and Jack: that is classic Milgram.

We also need to look at studies on learned helplessness, if they are not already being discussed somewhere here.

Can't wait to see if Hurley caves and enters the numbers - and what it'll take to get him to do it.

There's a good thread in the Orientation forum called "Operant Conditioning" that goes into a lot of detail about other psych and soci-psych theories and experiments at work in the show.

I love Locke... but as my good friend Myha stated:

1. Locke made Boone climb into drug plane.
2. Locke made Kate enter Hatch first.
3. Locke made Jack press the button on computer.

Somehow tasks he find ominous he persuades others to do for him...

He manipulates the situations to his benefit.

I just did a search on Milgram because I was toying with the idea that Desmond's purpose was observation; that everyone was there as part of an elaborate experiment testing human behavior. I had a "Doh!" moment when I read the initial post - Locke did seem to exhibit the same reaction as the Milgram participants when ordered to push execute - just like in Milgram's experiment, he did buckle when pressed by an authority figure...

I haven't re-watched that episode so correct me if I am mistaken but didn't Ol' Dessi boy have a gun in his hand when he was pressing Locke to press? Doesn't that change the concept of "authority figure"? Authority is usually deferred to anyone wearing a uniform, so the greeter at Walmart conveys more "authority figure" than the guy next to him in the Bud Light t-shirt. I'm just suggesting that firearms suggest bodily harm before they suggest authority. Of course that quickly follows.:biggrin:

I'd say that pointing, or even carrying, a gun definitely confers authority.