Burger (2009) Contemporary Study

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

To find out if the same results as mil grams 1963 study re-occur when the study is replicated with modern participants in 2009. It was also to see if a variable of personality like empathy and locus control influence obedience. Finally to see if the presence of a disobedient model makes a difference to level of obedience.

Question 2

Procedure

Answer 2

Question 3

Results

Answer 3

• 70% of participants in the baseline condition were prepared to go past 150V, compared to 82.5% in milgrams variation #5.
• Burger compared men and women but didn’t find in obedience. Women were less likely to obey in the “model refusal” condition but this was not statistically significant.
• Empathy didn’t make a significant difference to obedience.

Question 4

Conclusion

Answer 4

Burger concluded that Milgram’s results still stand half a century later. People are still influenced by situational factors to obey an authority figure, even if it goes against their moral values.
• “My partial replication of Milgram’s procedure suggests that average Americans react to this laboratory situation today much the way they did 45 yrs ago” -Jerry burger

Question 5

Generalisability

Answer 5

Doesn’t struggle from population validity as Burger used 30 more people than Milgram did and covered a wider range of ages from 20-81.
There was no gender bias in the study as two thirds of Burgers samples were women whereas Milgram used only males.
Burger tested out the historical bias of Milgram’s study to test if the conclusions are still valid today or if it was only applicable in 1963.
River excluded a lot of people from his study (emotional issues or those with an education in psychology) which may have affected the results, Milgram used a wider range of types of people.

Question 6

Reliability

Answer 6

Results were reliable as all participants went through the same process and were tested in the same environment.
• The volts went up the same for each participant.
• The same confederate were used each time.
•Burger filmed the whole experiment so it makes it reliable as people can watch it back and judge the reliability and obedience for themselves.

Question 7

Application

Answer 7

Question 8

Validity

Answer 8

Milgram’s study was criticised for lacking ecological validity as the task was artificial. This still applies to Burgers study.
It is valid as participants were paid in full before hand so there was no social pressure.
However, stopping the study at 150V may be invalid as participants may have stopped a little further.

Question 9

Ethics

Answer 9

The study was deigned to make it more ethical, h did this by assuming that if people were willing to go beyond 150v they would go to 450v with the knowledge that the learner has a heart condition saving them them the distres. Participants who were likely to be distressed and rhe experimenter was a clinical psychologist who could identify signs of distress and would stop the experiment if anyone seemed to be disturbed by what was happening.
The study was approved by the university of ethics panel. Who could shut it down if they felt people were harmed.
However still ethical criticisms as burger deceived his participants like milgram. He didn’t get informed consent although he debriefed participants afterwards., the participants were still distressed in some cases none were reduced to tears.