Experiments. Flashcards
What are reasons why Milgram’s study might be considered unethical?
(1) Milgram caused psychological harm to the participants
(2) The participants were deceived and couldn’t give informed consent
(3) Milgram might not have made it sufficiently clear that the participants could withdraw from the study at any time
How does Milgram’s study support agency theory?
Participants experienced distress while following the orders of the researcher. This supports agency theory’s prediction that people experience more strain when they follow the destructive orders of a figure of authority.
Participants were more likely to obey when the researcher took responsibility for their actions, or they were further away from the victim. This supports agency theory’s prediction people are more likely to obey when figures of authority take responsibility for the consequences of their actions.
What did Shute study?
Shute made participants fill in the locus of control questionnaire and then measured how much their attitudes could be influenced by other people. Shute’s Study found that people with an internal locus of control conformed less in situations that produce normative social influence.
Describe S**’s research into conditioning?
Skinner (1948) conducted research into operant conditioning, studying how rats responded to different behavioural outcomes. He put rats into glass boxes, which had a lever inside. In one version of the experiment, whenever the lever was pressed by the rat, a piece of food was dispensed. The rats learned through positive reinforcement that by pressing the lever, this would lead to a reward. In another version of the experiment, the glass box had an electrified floor, hurting the rats. Whenever the lever was pressed, the electricity would stop. The rats learned through negative reinforcement that by pressing the lever, this would lead to a negative outcome being removed
