Milgram Flashcards
autonomous state
we perceive ourselves to be responsible
for our own behaviour so we feel guilt for what we do.
E.g. participants who left
Milgram’s study before 450v.
agentic state
we obey an authority figure. We perceive ourselves to be agent of someone else’s will; the authority figure commanding us is responsible for what we do so we feel no guilt.
E.g. Participants who continued to give shocks in Milgram’s study because they no longer felt responsible for their actions.
moral strain
the feeling of guilt/anxiety you get for going against your conscience
when being ordered by an authority figure.
milgram OG aim
test how far ordinary people go when being ordered to give electric shocks (Germans are different
– holocaust)
milgram OG sample
40 men aged 20-50 were obtained via volunteer sampling through a newspaper advertisement
and paid for their time ($4), being told they would be taking part in a human learning
experiment, located at Yale University.
milgram OG procedure
-participant had to teach words to Mr Wallace(fixed draw
-ppt given 45v shock
-told to shocks learner every wrong answer in 15V increments
-if they refused they were given verbal prompts like you have no choice u must continue
milgram OG results
100% went to 300v
65% went to 450
-nervous laughter and trembling observed
milgram conclusion
‘ordinary’ people obey orders from an authority figure in extreme conditions even if they feel uncomfortable about doing so.
Milgram v7 aim
To see if proximity has an effect on obedience levels
Milgram v7 sample
40 ppt
milgram v7 procedure
The study progressed like the original with a rigged draw, first real shock etc.
* After giving the initial instructions the experimenter left the room leaving the participant with a telephone and the shock generator
* If the teachers have questions or doubts, they must phone the experimenter.
* The “prods” are delivered over the telephone.
milgram v7 results
The results fell from 65% to 22.5%.
* They lied about increasing the voltage and continued to give low level shocks.
milgram v7 conclusion
This shows that proximity to an authority figure has an impact on obedience (obedience decreases as people get further from the authority figure)
milgram v10 aim
Milgram wanted to see if changing from prestigious Yale would have an effect on obedience levels
milgram v10 sample
40 participants were recruited through a mailshot (by post).