milgram

Question 1

define obedience

Answer 1

Obedience is where an individual acts in response to a direct order from another individual, who is usually an authority figure.

Question 2

aim

Answer 2

Milgram wanted to investigate whether Germans were particularly obedient to authority figures as this was a common explanation for the Nazi killings in World War II.

Question 3

procedure

Answer 3

● 40 male Ps through newspaper ads and posters, which said he was looking for Ps for a memory study
● A confederate was the ‘learner’ while the P was the teacher. An ‘experimenter’ wore a lab coat. Ps were told that they could leave at any time.
● The learner was strapped in a chair in another room wired with electrodes. The teacher had to give the P an increasingly severe electric ‘shock’ each time he made a mistake.
● Shocks ranged from 15-450 volts.
● At 300 volts, the learner pounded on the wall and gave no response to the next question.

Question 4

when were prods used? and what were they?

Answer 4

If the teacher was unsure about continuing, the experimenter used a sequence of 4 standard ‘prods’:
● Prod 1 - ‘Please continue
● Prod 2 - ‘The experiment requires that you continue
● Prod 3 - ‘It is absolutely essential that you continue
● Prod 4 - ‘You have no other choice, you must go on’

Question 5

findings

Answer 5

● No P stopped below 300 volts
● 5 (12.5%) stopped at 300 volts
● 65% continued to 450 volts
● Ps showed signs of extreme tension; seen to sweat, tremble, bit their lips

Question 6

conclusion

Answer 6

Ps were debriefed and assured that their behaviour is normal. In a follow-up questionnaire, 84% reported that they felt glad that they participated. 74% felt they had learned something of personal importance.
- Ppt are willing to obey orders even when they might harm another person