Milgram Flashcards
What historical event influenced Milgram’s study on obedience?
The Holocaust, where Nazis claimed they were “just following orders.”
What psychological theory relates to Milgram’s study?
Agency Theory – the idea that people shift from an autonomous state (acting on their own morals) to an agentic state (following orders without responsibility).
What was the main aim of Milgram’s study?
To investigate whether people would obey an authority figure even when instructed to harm another person.
What specific behavior did Milgram test?
Whether participants would administer increasingly severe electric shocks to a stranger under orders.
How many participants were in Milgram’s study?
40 male participants.
What was the age range of participants?
20–50 years old.
How were participants recruited?
Through a newspaper advertisement offering $4.50 for participation.
What types of occupations did the participants have?
A mix, including teachers, salesmen, and factory workers.
How were the teacher and learner roles assigned?
A rigged draw ensured the participant was always the teacher and the confederate was the learner.
Where did the study take place?
In a lab at Yale University.
What task did the teacher have to do?
The teacher read word pairs, and the learner had to recall the correct answer.
What happened when the learner gave an incorrect answer?
The teacher was instructed to administer an electric shock, increasing the voltage each time.
What was the voltage range of the shocks?
From 15V (“slight shock”) to 450V (“XXX”).
What did the learner (confederate) do during the experiment?
Pretended to be in pain, grunting at 75V, shouting at 120V, and going silent after 330V.
What did the learner (confederate) do during the experiment?
Pretended to be in pain, grunting at 75V, shouting at 120V, and going silent after 330V.
What happened if the participant hesitated to continue?
The experimenter used verbal prods, such as:
• “Please continue.”
• “The experiment requires that you continue.”
• “You have no other choice; you must go on.”
What percentage of participants continued to the maximum 450V?
65% (26 out of 40).
What percentage continued to at least 300V?
100% (40 out of 40).
How did participants react emotionally?
Many showed extreme distress, including sweating, trembling, and nervous laughter.
What were Milgram’s main conclusions?
People obey authority figures even when it goes against their morals.
Situational factors (not personality) influence obedience.
The agentic state allows people to follow orders without feeling personally responsible.
How did Milgram link his findings to real-world events?
He suggested that atrocities like the Holocaust could be explained by obedience to authority rather than evil personalities.
Why does Milgram’s study have high internal validity?
The controlled lab setting eliminated extraneous variables, ensuring that obedience was due to the authority figure.
How did the standardized procedure increase reliability?
Every participant had the same experience, making the study easy to replicate.
How is Milgram’s study useful in real life?
It helps explain real-world obedience, such as why soldiers or employees follow harmful orders.
What historical event does Milgram’s study help explain?
The Holocaust, where Nazi officers followed extreme orders believing they were not responsible.
What are the main ethical concerns in Milgram’s study?
Deception – Participants believed they were giving real shocks.
Lack of informed consent – They were not aware of the true aim.
Psychological harm – Many participants experienced distress.
How might demand characteristics have influenced Milgram’s results?
Some participants may have guessed the study was fake and continued obeying because they believed they were supposed to.
Why is Milgram’s sample criticized for being biased?
The study only included American males, making the results less generalisable.
