1.1.2 milgram

Question 1

what is the aim of milgram’s study?

Answer 1

To find out if ordinary American citizens would obey an unjust order from an authority figure and inflict pain on another person because they were instructed to

Question 2

what is the dv in milgram’s study?

Answer 2

Highest shock level each participant would go to, treating 450V as “complete obedience”

no iv as it is a structured observation

Question 3

describe the sample in milgram’s study

Answer 3

• 40 male participants aged 20-50, from New Haven (USA) and a range of occupations and backgrounds
• all volunteers who had responded to an advert in a local paper, which offered $4.50 to take part in an experiment on ‘punishment and learning’.

Question 4

describe the procedure in milgram’s study

Answer 4

• Pp introduced to 2 confederates
• Lots drawn but fixed, pp always T and confederate always L
• ‘T was told that his job was to give the L an electric shock for every mistake on a world recall task, voltage increased by 15 (but fake)
• T watched L being strapped to the electric chair and was given a sample electric shock to convince them that the procedure was real.
• As the electric shocks increased the L’s screams, which were recorded, became louder and more dramatic.
• At 300 volts he banged on the wall and demanded to leave and at 315 volts he became silent
• If the T protested, the experimenter would respond with a series of prods e.g. ‘The experiment requires that you continue.’ f continued to protest after 4th prod they could leave and max shock recorded. Following the experiment the participants were debriefed.

Question 5

describe the findings of milgram’s study

Answer 5

• 100% participants delivered the 300V shock
• 65% delivered the whole 450V shock
• 35% exhibited nervous laughter
• pps were observed to sweat, tremble, bite their lips and dig their fingernails into their flesh
• three participants had full-blown out uncontrollable seizures

Question 6

describe the conclusion of milgram’s study

Answer 6

Milgram concluded that ‘ordinary’ people obey orders from an authority figure in extreme conditions even if they feel uncomfortable about doing so

Question 7

describe the 4 verbal prods used in milgram’s study

Answer 7

Prod 1: Please continue. or Please go on.
Prod 2: The experimenter requires that you continue.
Prod 3: It is absolutely essential that you continue.
Prod 4: You have no other choice, you must go on.

Question 8

milgram - generalisability

evaluation - baseline

Answer 8

P - low generalisability/population validity

E - Bias sample of 40 American male volunteers aged 20-50, from New Haven (USA)

T: Therefore as the sample isn’t representative we are unable to generalise the results to other populations and cannot conclude if female participants would respond in a similar way

Question 9

milgram - reliability

Answer 9

P - high - used a standardised procedure, all participants had the exact same experience

E - Confederates were always played by the same actors, the number and timing of the learner mistakes were also the same for every participant and the experimenter’s responses were supposedly tightly scripted. For example, the prods were always delivered in the same order and tone of voice.

T - therefore the study can be replicated to check for consistent results, and has been tested successfully by burger (2009)

Question 10

milgram - inter-rater reliability

Answer 10

P - low inter-rater reliability

E - only one experimenter observing behaviours such as stress

T - therefore, there are elements of subjectivity in behaviour defined as stressful

Question 11

milgram - application

Answer 11

P - a strength of the study is the applications

E - The study demonstrates how obedience to authority works and this can be used to increase obedience in settings like schools, workplaces and prisons. Authority figures should wear symbols of authority (uniforms) and justify their authority with reference to a “greater good”.

T - therefore, this can help to reduce increase obedience in relevant settings

Question 12

milgram - ethics

Answer 12

P - a weakness of the study is the poor ethics

E - Pps were deceived and also experienced psychological harm which is seen in the qualitative data.

The participants were also manipulated into thinking that they had no right to withdraw throughout the use of the 4 prods, which attempted to convince the p’s to carry out with electrocuting the ‘learner’ (actor Mr. Wallace).

T - therefore, this demonstrates psychological harm which goes against the ethical guidelines.