burger (2009) Flashcards
what was the aim of burger’s (2009) study?
to replicate milgrams 1963 obedience study whilst addressing ethical concerns, particularly in regard to participants psychological wellbeing
what ethical improvements did burger make compared to milgrams study?
implemented ethical safeguards
- thorough screening process
- giving participants the right to withdraw
- ensuring participants were debriefed and given psychological support after the study
how did burger design the study to reduce the stress participants experienced?
burgers study included a ‘modelled refusal’ conduction where the experimenter and confederate teacher both refused to shock the learner
what was the procedure of burgers 2009 study?
- participants asked to administer shocks to a confederate who was pretending to be a learner
- shocks stared at 15 volts and increased up to 150 volts
- after the participant reached 150 volts the confederate would protest but the experimenter would prompt the participant to continue
how did burger measure obedience in his study?
by assessing how far participants would go in administering shocks before they either refused to continue to reached the 150 volt threshold (where the confederate made protests)
what were the key findings of burgers study?
- 70% of participants were willing to administer shocks up to 150 volts (similiar to milgrams original study of 82%)
- findings suggested milgrams results still applied decades later
what were the differences between burger and milgrams study?
burgers study used a lower max shock level (150 volts), had a more ethical design (screening and debriefing), and included a ‘modelled refusal’ (experimenter and confederate refused to continue)
what was the modelled refusal condition in burgers study?
the confederate teacher and the experimenter refused to continue shock administration after 150 volts. this was designed to observe if this would influence the participants willingness to continue
how did burger ensure the study was ethical
by screening participants for mental health and emotional stability .
obtaining informed consent , offering the right to withdraw at any point, and providing a thorough debrief and counselling afterwards
what was the significance of the 150 volts mark in burgers study?
150 volts was the point at which the learner first expressed discomfort , allowing burger to compare levels of obedience to milgrams study (participants often stopped at or before this point)
conclusion of burgers study?
- people are still willing to obey authority figures in situations involving direct harm to others
- 70% of participants were willing to administer shocks up to 150 volts
how does burgers study contribute to our understanding of obedience?
demonstrates obedience to authority remains strong overtime, even with modern ethical safeguards
also shows the influence of authority and the presence of dissenters in reducing compliance
what role did the experimenter play in burgers study?
provided verbal prompts to encourage continued obedience
eg. ‘please continue’ or ‘the experiment requires that you continue’
what was the impact of the ‘modelled refusal’ on obedience in burgers study?
the modelled refusal has a significant impact in reducing obedience. participants who saw both experimenter and the confederate refuse to continue were less likely to continue administering shocks themselves
how did burger address the cultural relevance of his findings?
burger noted that his findings were consistent with milgrams og study, suggesting the human tendency to obey authority figures is widespread , regardless of cultural or historical context
how does burgers study support or challenge milgrams conclusions?
- supports milgrams conclusions that people are highly obedient to authority figures , even when the actions conflict personal morals
- challenges study by implementing ethical safeguards making the findings more applicable to modern ethical standards
what methodological limitations were present in burgers study?
the sample was predominantly made up of volunteers who may have an interest in psychology, which may limit the generalisability of the results to the wider population
what is the relevance of burgers study to contemporary society?
burgers study is relevant in understanding obedience in modern contexts , particularly in workplaces or military organisations where authority figures can influence harmful behaviour despite moral objections
how did burgers study differ in terms of participant demographics compared to milgrams study?
- more diverse sample of participants, including both male and female participants whereas milgrams original study only included male participants
