Burger (2009)

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

To see if Milgram’s findings were era-bound and id obedience affected gender or personality traits

Question 2

Sample

Answer 2

70 adult volunteers
aged 20-81
60% university degrees 5
5% white 4% black afro-american Recruited through flyers at libraries, ads in newspapers

Question 3

Ethical changes to Milgram

Answer 3

• Shocks of 150V to avoid high levels of anxiety, 79% in Milgram who gave 150V went to 450V- Exclude anxious volunteers- Given 3 reminders of right to withdraw- 15V given to participants at start- Debriefed immediately after and met learner- Clinical psychologist supervised trials

Question 4

Self report questionnaires measured what?

Answer 4

Empathic concern - feel sympathy to othersDesire for personal control - want to control events

Question 5

When was trial stopped

Answer 5

When participants refused to continue after 4 prods or at 150V

Question 6

Findings

Answer 6

70% obedientNo significant difference in men and women Men = 66.7%, women = 72.7%No sig dif in empathic in defiant (19.25) and obedient (19.2)Defiant higher personal scores (106.92), to obedient (98.24)

Question 7

Conclusion

Answer 7

Milgram’s findings not era-boundLack of empathy doesn’t mean high obedienceDesire for personal control related to obedience

Question 8

Strength

Answer 8

Any participants who had taken 2 or more psychology classes were excluded5 admitted to awareness

Question 9

Weakness

Answer 9

38% deselected with anxietySample would have been more psychologically robustShould be less obedient, generalisability limited

Question 10

CA of weakness

Answer 10

Beauvois (2012)Replicated MilgramDid not exclude any participants, except with medication of health problems -> Burger had similar findings so may be generalisable80% obeyed to 450V

Question 11

Application

Answer 11

Elms (2009) Situation lost realism because participants stopped before suffered real stressPost 150V conversations between participants and experiments provided findingsReduced meaningfulness of study in helping to understand obedience in real-world situations