Chapter 2 - Milgram Study Of Obedience Flashcards
Why did milgram make this experiment in the USA ?
He wanted to see if people from the USA were as obedient as German soldiers from WW2
Describe the participants
40 males
20-50 years
Unskilled to professional
Which role was the participant always assigned
Always as the teacher, the learner was a voice recording of an actor
Describe the task the teacher had to do
Gave learner a list of word pairs to memorise, when the learner got this wrong, they gave them an electric shock increasing every time the learner got one wrong
What was the range of voltage from the shocks
15-450v
At 75v what is heard from learners room
Audible pain groan
After 330v what could be heard from the learners room
Nothing, it was silent.
What instructed the teachers to carry on
4 instructed prods from the experimenter in the white lab coat
What percentage of people administered the highest shock
65%
What did milgram predict percentage of teachers to go to maximum shock would be
3%
What percentage of participants administered a shock even when the learner said he had a compliant and wanted out
80%
Give a reason for why the figure was so high, why it was difficult to say no
Normative pressures
Authority figure present difficult to say no
How were the participants not protected from psychological harm
Extremely stressful situation, there was psychical evidence of distress within the study
Was there a right to withdraw ?!
It was difficult to withdraw due to to commands to comtinue, however this was necessary for nature of study
What was the element of deception in the study
It was advertised as a study about memory and learning, not obedience
This could of been necessary to avoid participant bias
A criticism of how data was handle
The way milgram reported his regulars was biased and there was elective editing and recording of experiments.
What is a main concern about milgram a study
Participants may not have been displaying obedience
In an analysis of responses the 4th prod did no elicit obedience as no participant complied
What was suggested about the role of identification in this study
Participants may have been motivated by identification with scientific community, and not obedience to authority.
Why did Milgram have such interest in the Holocaust
Some of his family members survived Nazi concentration camps
What is prompt number 2
The experiment requires that you must continue
What is prompt number 4
You have no other choice, you must go on
Why did the participants conform due to informational social influence
Told shocks were not harmful
In a state of conflict they followed the expert for guidance
In a follow up study when participants were able to question authority, what was the difference in the results
100% of participants ceased to give the maximum shock
If the participant was given free range of shock level to give the teacher, what percentage would give the maximum shock
3%
What results did burger achieve with his replication study in 2009
70% reached 150v
Two teacher study - 63% reached 150v
What result of obedience did Dolinsk attain from his replication study
90% obedience
What was the voltage threshold identified in burger and dolinskis studies
Identified a 150v threshold, if a participant was willing to go to this this showed they were willing to go the full way
In the French show- the game of death what percentage of participants gave the maximum shock levels
80%
Name some experimental issues with the study
Sample- volunteer sample
Leaner was always male so not representative
Ecological validity questioned as the design was more relevant to a military context
How did milgram a study allow for replication
He uses standardised procedures,
Name some ethical issues with the study
Deception- might of been necessary though
No protection of participants - stressful
Commands to continue may have prevented right to withdraw, but only 35% did
What did the participants receive after the study
Debrief
84% of participmats said they were glad they participated in the study
Name some controversial points with this study
Biased way of reporting results
Selective editing in recording of experiments
Deviation from protocol
Some participants had not been debriefed
Why were milgrams intentions questioned
Participants not showing obedience, were given prods, but the prods did not elicit obedience
Why may people not be as obedient to the prods
As the prods were seen as orders, which can cause disobedience
