milgram

Question 1

milgrams aim?

Answer 1

test how far ordinary people would go when ordered to give electric shocks (Germans are different – Holocaust)

Question 2

milgrams sample?

Answer 2

40 men aged 20-50
volunteer sampling via newspaper advertisement
paid for their time ($4)
told they would be taking part in a human learning experiment at Yale Uni

Question 3

milgrams procedure?

Answer 3

ppts split into ‘teachers’ who had to read out word pairs and ‘learners’ who had
to learn these and be tested on
Unknown to the real ppts the other ppt was a confederate who became ‘learner’ through fixed draw
ppts witnessed confederates being wired up to a chair in a separate room and given
a 45-volt shock themselves
ppts told when the ‘learners’ gave the wrong answer they had to give electric shocks, ranging from 15 to 450 volts – increasing by a 15 volt increment each time
If refused verbal prods were given from the experimenter like ‘you have no choice you must continue’.
no contact with the learner until 300V when they banged on the wall and
didn’t answer any more questions

Question 4

results of milgram?

Answer 4

100% (40/40) obeyed to 300 volts.
65% (24/40) obeyed to 450 volts.
Qualitative data – signs of distress like nervous laughter

Question 5

milgrams conclusion?

Answer 5

‘ordinary’ people obey orders from an authority figure in extreme conditions even if they feel uncomfortable about doing so