Lesson 6: Obedience to Authority- Milgram

Question 1

What is obedience?

Answer 1

Complying with the demands of an authority figure

Question 2

What hypothesis was Milgram testing?

Answer 2

The ‘Germans are different hypothesis’ used by historians and social scientists to explain the Holocaust

Question 3

State the procedure of Milgram’s experiment

Answer 3

• 40 (20-50) male ppts at Yale
• $4 an hour memory test
• learner, teacher, experimenter (ppt would always be Teacher) (confederate Mr Wallace was used for learner)
• placed in separate rooms where teacher would administer fake shocks from 15 to 450 volts

Question 4

What were the four prods of Milgram’s experiment?

Answer 4

1) Please continue
2) The experiment requires you continue
3) It is absolutely essential that you continue
4) You have no other choice, you must go on

Question 5

What were the results of Milgram’s study?

Answer 5

• predicted 2% would shock at highest level
• all ppts shocked up to 300V and 65% shocked until 450 volts
• ppts showed signs of nervousness and tension
• nervous laughter was common
• Germans are different hypothesis was not supported

Question 6

Strengths of Milgram’s study

Answer 6

• external validity (reflected real life authority)
• Hofling et al (1966) performed nurse experiment where 21 out of 22 obeyed the doctor giving incorrect prescription (however Rank and Jacobson say that the nurses didn’t know about the drug and didnt obey when having to prescribe excessive Valium)
• Milgram’s study has supporting replication (Le Jeu de La Mort)

Question 7

Weaknesses of Milgram’s study

Answer 7

• low internal validity: pps could have shown demand characteristics. Orne and Holland say pps could’ve guessed shocks were fake.
• ethical issues: Baumrind was critical of how Milgram deceived ppts. It was difficult to withdraw due to 4 prods and there was a risk of long term psychological harm to pps.
• gender bias- findings therefore may not be generalised to the wider population since he used an entirely male dominated sample

Question 8

How did Milgram defend his study?

Answer 8

Difficult to withdraw: difficult but not impossible
Risk of long term harm: ppts were debriefed, 84% were glad to have taken part