Milgram ⚡️ Flashcards
What is obedience?
Form of social influence in which an individual follows direct orders from an authoritarian figure (higher power) who has the power to punish when behaviour is not obedient.
Who is Milgram and what was his aim?
Wanted to know if Nazis in WW2 were obedient due to situational factors.
What was the procedure of Milgrams study?
40 male participants were told to take part in a memory test at Yale university.
Experimenter –> Used 4 prods to encourage teacher to continue
Confederate named Mr Wallace (learner)
Roles were fixed so PPTs were always the teacher.
The teacher was to administer a shock for every wrong answer the confederate got wrong and the volts increased by 15 volts up to 450 volts.
What were the findings of the experiment?
100% = 300 volts
65% = total 450 volts which was enough shock to kill a person.
PPTs showed signs of stress and 3 PPTs had a seizure.(qualitative)
After a debrief, 84% were glad they took part.
Milgram conclusion:
Ordinary people = extremely obedient to authority even when behaviour = inhumane
Strenght OUI OUI 🥸
Evaluation of Milgram
Milgrams findings were replicated in a French TV show by Beauvois in 2012.
PPTs were paid to administer shocks to other ‘participants’ who were actually actors.
80% went up to full voltage of 460 volts to unconscious man.
Supports Milgrams original findings –> findings not due to special circumstances
weakness
Evaluation
Low internal validity:
Milgram reported that 75% believed shocks were genuine.
Orne and Holland 1968 believed that PPTs were acting which was supported by Perry in 2013 after listening to interviews 2/3 rd of those who didn’t believe the experiment were disobedient.
May be responding to demand characteristics
Counterpoint:
Sheridan + King, ppts asked to administer real life shocks to a puppy.
100% went to max volts= females
54% of males went up to max volts.
Weakness cuz Milgram is a liar
Evaluation of Milgram
Ethical issues
Rife with deception as Milgram rigged the roles and didn’t tell PPTs aim of the study.
Argued that deception was necessary for experiment to be realistic and avoid demand characteristics.
After collection of debrief, Milgram suggested that PPTs had no lasting damage and 84% were glad they took part in the experiment.
Jeopardise future research + hinder reputation of psychology
Importance of findings = outweigh costs
Proximity variation:
When learner and teacher were in the same room, obedience dropped from 65% to 40%.
Touch proximity when teacher had to move learners hand onto the plate, obedience dropped to 30%.
Remote instruction = 20.5%
More emotional vulnerability
–> allow people to psychologically distance themselves from consequences of action.
Location variation:
When location was moved from Yale to a run down building, obedience dropped to 47.5% due to lack of status.
Prestigious uni= legitimacy + authority –> perceived experimenter shared same legitimacy
Uniform variation:
Experimenter —> ordinary member of the public, obedience dropped to 20%.
Uniform symbolic of status
Bickman — guard =76% while pederstrian had 30% uniform gives legitimate sense of authority.
Evaluation of variations:
High levels of control, assessed each variable at a time.
Established cause and effect.
Study was replicated with 1000 PPTs.
Low internal validity —> guess aim of study easily.
Orne and Holland (again) –> extra manipulation of IV.
Unclear whether findings = operation of obedience or demand characteristics.
Evaluation of explanations:
Situational perspective?
Mandel (1998) –> perspective provides excuse for destructive obedience
Overlooks role of dispositional factors
–> genetics/upbringing
Explanation based only on situational factors
Mandel argues –> attributing Holocaust to situational pressures + ignoring role of dispositional factors = offensive to survivors
Evaluations of variations:
Cross cultural replication.
Dutch study (Meeus + Raaijmakers)
PPTs told to say stressful things to people they were interviewing who were desperate for a job (confederate)
90% obeyed
Applicable to other cultures + genders.
COUNTERPOINT:
Smith and Bond = identified only two non western countries apart of research. (Jordan+ India)
Not appropriate to generalise.
What is the agentic state?
Mental state where no personal responsibility felt for behaviour
free from demand of conscience –> obey destructive figure
Experience mental strain but feel powerless.
