milgram Flashcards
psychology being investigated
- obedience
- social pressure
obedience
the result of social pressure where one person complies with a
direct order of an authority figure.
background
- Obedience is important for social life but can be destructive.
- He believed extreme obedience to authority was a one-off, that ‘the Germans were different’.
- He expected that in the 1960s in the USA, no one would obey if
he created an extreme situation. - Before the study, Milgram asked 14 students, ‘Would you give an electric shock to another person?’ <3 % said they would.
-Milgram wanted to test the ‘Germans are different’ hypothesis, which explains obedience in terms of dispositional factors, such as personal conscience.
aim
To investigate the level of obedience when the authority figure’s command requires
destructive behaviour.
research method
controlled, covert, non-participant observation in a lab
data collection techniques
- Observation: behaviour was observed using a one-way mirror. The observer recorded the maximum voltage of shock
delivered and signs of anxiety. - Interview: after the study, an unstructured interview was carried out using open-ended qns about how the participants felt about obeying authority
how was level of obedience measured
the maximum voltage of shock
delivered
measured variable
Maximum voltage of shock administered before refusing to go
any further. There were 30 switches (ranging from 0 to 450 volts).
how were participants classed as defiant
if they stopped before 450 volts
sample
Size: 40 men.
Demographic: All aged 20–50 yrs; from New Haven, USA; from
a variety of manual and professional occupations.
Sampling technique: self-selected via newspaper and direct mail advertisements. Volunteers were paid $4.50
procedure
The study was conducted at Yale Uni.
- Participants were told that the study was about the effect of punishment on learning.
- Naive (real) participants were introduced to another participant, ‘Mr Wallace’ by the experimenter who were both confederates of the study.
- A rigged lottery was used to decide who would be ‘teacher’ and ‘learner’. The real participant was always the teacher.
- The teacher and learner were taken to another room. The learner was strapped to a chair and electrodes were attached to their wrists.
-The teacher was taken to an adjoining room and seated in front of a shock machine. The teacher received a sample shock of 45 V.
- The experimenter remained in the same room as the teacher throughout the test.
- The learning task involved the learner memorising word pairs. Participants read word-pairs to the learner and then read the first word of a word pair with 4
options.
- The experimenter instructed the teacher to administer a shock when the learner gave an incorrect answer. They were told to increase the voltage each time (by 15 V).
- 4 standardised prods were used if the teacher resisted
- A thorough debrief was given at the end of the study, and the teacher and learner were reunited and interviewed about the experience.
what were the 4 standard prods used if the teacher resisted
1 Please continue.
2 The experiment requires that you continue.
3 It’s absolutely essential that you continue.
4 You have no other choice; you must go on.
controls
- All participants drew lots, the same prods were given and the same word pair task was used.
- All participants heard the learner supposedly pounding on the wall in protest at
300 V and 315 V.
ethical issues
- Deception:
- Participants deceived when they were told the aim of the research was learning and memory.
- Participants were decieved that the learner was another participant and that the shocks were real. - Debriefing: Milgram debriefed his participants, revealing that the experimenter and learner were confederates. The learner reassured the participant that he was unharmed.
- Right to withdraw: The prods used by the experimenter prevented participants from leaving the study.
- Protection from harm: Three participants had seizures and the many showed signs of intense distress
results
- Quantitative results
- 26/40 administered the maximum 450 V
- 40/40 went up to 300 V - Qualitative results
- Extreme tension was observed (sweating, trembling, biting lip, etc.).
- 14 showed signs of nervous laughter and smiling.
- 3 had seizures.
