Contemporary Study: Burger A01 Flashcards
What were the aims of Burger (2009)?
To see if Milgram’s findings were era-bound, and if obedience is affected by gender and/or personality traits.
What kind of experimental method was used?
Laboratory Experiment
How many participants took part?
70
What kind of sampling method was used?
Volunteer Sample
They placed flyers in libraries and advertisements in newspapers.
Between what ages were the sample?
20-81 years
What percentage of them had university degrees?
60%
What percentage of the sample were white Caucasian?
55%
How many ethical safeguards were put in place to protect the participants from harm?
6
Name 3 of the ethical safeguards
Shocks stopped at 150v
Careful screening to exclude anxious volunteers
Participants were given 3 reminders of the right to withdraw.
How did Burger measure the personality traits of the participants?
Self-report questionnaires measuring:
Empathic concern
Desire for personal control
What is empathic concern?
The tendency to experience feelings of sympathy/compassion for others.
What is desire for personal control?
How motivated someone is to see themselves in control of events.
What was the obedience rate in Experiment 5?
70% compared to Milgram who found (82.5%)
Were there significant differences between the obedience of males and females.
No significant difference
What was the main conclusion of Burger’s study?
Milgram’s findings are not era-bound.
Lack of empathy does not explain high obedience rates as both defiant and obedient participants had similar scores.
