Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Punishment

Punishment

Negative reinforcement and punishment are often confused but serve distinct functions in behavior modification. Reinforcement, whether positive or negative, increases the likelihood of a desired behavior, while punishment decreases it.
Punishment can be positive or negative. Positive punishment involves adding an undesirable stimulus, such as scolding, to decrease a behavior. Negative punishment involves removing a desirable stimulus, such as taking away a favorite toy, to decrease behavior.

Torts II

Torts II

Intentional torts in healthcare refer to deliberate actions that cause harm or infringe on the rights of others. Understanding these torts is crucial for healthcare professionals to avoid legal liabilities and maintain ethical standards in patient care.

Milgram's Obedience to Authority

Milgram's Obedience to Authority

Obedience to authority is classically demonstrated in a more famous series of social psychology experiments performed by Stanley Milgram. He was a social psychology professor at Yale who was influenced by the trial of Adolf Eichmann, a Nazi war criminal. Eichmann’s defense for the atrocities he committed was that he was “just following orders.”

The Stanford Prison Experiment

The Stanford Prison Experiment

The famous and controversial Stanford Prison Experiment, conducted by social psychologist Philip Zimbardo and his colleagues at Stanford University, demonstrated the power of social roles, social norms, and scripts.

Obedience

Obedience

According to obedience research, we may harm others under the forceful pressures of an authority figure (Milgram, 1974). How about if the inappropriate orders were delivered with less force? The increasing interdependence between nurses and physicians compelled Hofling and his colleagues to explore nurses’ reactions to a potentially harmful medical request made by the perceived authority figure, the doctor (Hofling, Brotzman, Dalrymple, Graves, & Pierce, 1966). In this situation, obedience...

Torts I

Torts I

Torts in nursing are wrongful acts that can harm patients and potentially lead to civil liability for the involved nurse. These wrongful acts range from unintentional errors to deliberate actions. Depending on the nature and severity of the tort, a nurse found liable may face financial penalties or disciplinary actions. Understanding the distinctions between intentional, quasi-intentional, and unintentional torts is crucial for nurses to mitigate risks and provide safe patient care.
Intentional...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Traumatic Brain Injury News Reports and Participation in High School Tackle Football.

JAMA pediatrics·2018

Same author

Should doctors boycott working in Australia's immigration detention centres?

BMJ (Clinical research ed.)·2016

Same author

Medical Ethics and School Football.

The American journal of bioethics : AJOB·2016

Same author

Medical associations and accountability for physician participation in torture.

AMA journal of ethics·2015

Same author

The diptych: Nazi and Japanese bioscience war crimes.

The American journal of bioethics : AJOB·2015

Same author

Kaci Hickox: public health and the politics of fear.

The American journal of bioethics : AJOB·2015

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Determining Pain Detection and Tolerance Thresholds Using an Integrated, Multi-Modal Pain Task Battery

Determining Pain Detection and Tolerance Thresholds Using an Integrated, Multi-Modal Pain Task Battery

Published on: April 14, 2016

Punishing physicians who torture: a work in progress.

Steven H Miles¹, Telma Alencar, Brittney N Crock

¹Center for Bioethics, University of Minnesota, USA. miles001@umn.edu

Torture : Quarterly Journal on Rehabilitation of Torture Victims and Prevention of Torture

|March 16, 2010

Summary

Physicians are increasingly held accountable for complicity in torture and crimes against humanity. Medical associations and courts are institutionalizing punishments, signaling a move away from impunity for such medical misconduct.

More Related Videos

Cecal Ligation Puncture Procedure

Cecal Ligation Puncture Procedure

Published on: May 7, 2011

Analgesic Effect of Tuina on Rat Models with Compression of the Dorsal Root Ganglion Pain

Analgesic Effect of Tuina on Rat Models with Compression of the Dorsal Root Ganglion Pain

Published on: July 14, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Determining Pain Detection and Tolerance Thresholds Using an Integrated, Multi-Modal Pain Task Battery

Determining Pain Detection and Tolerance Thresholds Using an Integrated, Multi-Modal Pain Task Battery

Published on: April 14, 2016

Cecal Ligation Puncture Procedure

Cecal Ligation Puncture Procedure

Published on: May 7, 2011

Analgesic Effect of Tuina on Rat Models with Compression of the Dorsal Root Ganglion Pain

Analgesic Effect of Tuina on Rat Models with Compression of the Dorsal Root Ganglion Pain

Published on: July 14, 2023

Area of Science:

Medical Ethics
International Law
Human Rights Law

Background:

Anecdotal evidence suggests physicians face few consequences for complicity in torture and crimes against humanity.
Addressing this gap is crucial to counter the perception of impunity and enhance physician accountability.
Historical precedents, including the Nuremberg Doctors' Trial, highlight the need for accountability.

Purpose of the Study:

To document and analyze cases of physicians punished for complicity in torture or crimes against humanity post-World War II.
To categorize hearing procedures, physician roles, specific punishable acts, and the political contexts of these punishments.
To inform public policy for punishing and deterring medical misconduct in cases of human rights abuses.

Main Methods:

Conducted a multilingual web search across international and national courts, military tribunals, and medical associations.
Searched medical and non-medical literature databases, human rights organizations, and media reports.
Focused on cases of physicians punished for complicity in torture or crimes against humanity after World War II.

Main Results:

Identified 56 physicians in eight countries punished for complicity in torture or crimes against humanity.
Medical associations disciplined 85% of cases; domestic courts 18%; international courts 3%.
Twenty-two physicians currently face open cases, indicating ongoing accountability efforts.

Conclusions:

Punishments for physicians involved in crimes against humanity are becoming institutionalized.
Medical associations play a vital role in self-regulation and accountability for professional misconduct.
Establishing clear policies can deter future medical complicity in torture and human rights violations.