contemporary study - burger

Question 1

what is the aim of burger

Answer 1

replicate milgrams study in modern day to see if same level of obedience shown

Question 2

what is the method of burger

Answer 2

• respond to advertisment
• paid $50
• secreening
  anyone taken 2+ psychology classes excluded
  asked on mental health and drug/alcohol use
  clinical psychologist assessed empathy and desirability and semi structured interview
  anyone who may react negatively excluded
• 29 men 41 woment 20-81 years

base condition :
- introduced to equipment experimenter and confederate
- riged draw
- signed consent
- same task
- sample shock 15 v
- verbal prods
- once finished informed it wasnt real and debriefed

modelled refusal condition
- same procedure but 2 confederates
- same gender as ppts and acted as teacher
- after 90v they left, ppts instructed to continue

Question 3

what were the results of burger

Answer 3

• base: 70% went to continue after 150 V, 82.5% in milgrams
• modelled refusal: 63.3% went to continue
• little difference between men and women
• no significant difference with empathetic concern within or between conditions
• ppts who stopped in base had significantly higher scores on desire for control

Question 4

what conclusions did burger make

Answer 4

• the average american reacts the same way they did 45 years ago
• couldnt confirm for certain they would go to 450 V
• no evidence for gender differences
• some evidence for personality differences

Question 5

what are the strengths of burger

Answer 5

+ 70 men and women from range of backgrounds and ethnicities, wide range of people should respond the same
+ ethical guidelines followed, 2 step screening, told 3x they could withdraw, 15 V sample shock, told straight away learner recieved no shocks, clinical psychologist looking for signs of distress
+ extremely detailed, ppts had the same experience and screening, good reliability
+ higher internal validity, lab conditions, experimenter had control, no knowlegde of Milgram

Question 6

what are the weaknesses of burger

Answer 6

• western based, collectivist cultures may respond differently, 38% excluded so final sample may have been psycholgically robust
• lacks ecological validity, Santa Clara Uni, task of shocking, behaviour may be artififcial
• Elms claimed it tells little about real world obedience so lacks application, ppts stopped before any real tension or cognitive confusion, reduces meaningfullness