milgram Flashcards
Background into Milgram
Wanted to know how did the Holocaust happen- assumed German soldiers had a personality flaw which made them more obedient to authority (Nature V Nurture are Germans predetermined to be more obedient?)
Why is a pilot study important?
Test your procedure. Milgram asked students and lecturers how many people would administer a shock estimated 4% go to 450v. Important as it showed most people believed hardly anyone would follow orders that might kill an innocent person but actual experiment showed that.
What is the aim of Milgrams experiment?
To investigate the levels of obedience shown by subjects when they were told by an authority figure to administer electric shocks to another person even if it meant harming them.
Participants in Milgram’s study?
40 males ages 20-50 American responded to direct mailing and adverts to take part in a memory and learning study
Evaluate the sampling technique used?
Volunteer- Allows access to a wide range of people as adverts were used eg socioeconomic status/Volunteers might be particularly obedient and not representative of the experiment. Milgram paid 4 dollars for ppts to tun up for a study of memory
Procedure of Milgram’s study
Participant came to Yale lab along with confederate and drew rigged lots to be teacher or learner. Confederate- Learner, Participant - Teacher. Experiment in a lab coat looking authortarian told to shock every wrong answer) Electric shock given to 45v Ppt/Teacher to show shocks were real then attached to Confederate/Learner. Learner had to learn word pairs and deliberately got them wrong so had to be shocked (inc by 15v) had to go all the way to 450v
The Prods Used in Milgram’s Experiment
please go on / the experiment requires that you continue / it is absolutely essential that you continue / you have no other choice you must go on
Key results (quantitative)
All went to 300v, 65% to 450v, only 14 stopped before 450v
Key results (qualitative)
Showed visible signs of distress, sweating, trembling, laughter and protesting. However, some remained calm throughout
Conclusions
1) level of obedience was not expected- social influence is strong 2) tension and emotional strain by subject- people will obey orders even when it causes them personal distress
Outline one methodological weakness of Milgram’s study (4)
Lack mundane realism. This is because the tasks required to do wasn’t something that they would do in everyday life. People are not usually asked to electrocute a stranger if they can’t remember a word pair. Therefore, the study lacks ecological validity as it cannot be applied to everyday life. However, Milgram defended this by arguing the process of obedience was the same regardless of location or task. For example. Hofling et al showed 21.22 nurses were obedient to a Dr when administering a lethal dosage.
What does this study tells us about behaviour? (4)
In certain circumstances, people can obey an authority figure to an unexpected extent. The pilot study showed most Americans wouldn’t go over 150v which shows the results of the study were unexpected. This can be seen when 65& of the participants in Milgrams study obey the experiment and adminstered the learner the maximum amount of volts 450.However, this study was done in a prestigious university, in an artificial situation so the experiment lacks ecological validity. It cannot be certain that these results can be applied to everyday life.
PEEC eg of generalisability
Lacks generalisability as his sample was both androcentric and ethnocentric. Milgram used 40 ppts from N.E USA. This means his results cannot be generalised to woman or other cultures. However Milgram wanted to look at obedience levels of Americans so in that sense it can generalised in that part of the target population. This is because his sample was all from America.
Generalisability of Milgram’s study
Not representative of pop all ppts from America (ethocentric) all ppts were male (androcentric) sample technique was self-selected so ppts may be different to others so more likely to think scientific research is more biddable.
Reliability of Milgrams study
Setting is controlled- ppt and confederate always sat in same locations. Same person played role as learner and experiment gave same instructions and prods. Learner always gave the same as it was a tape recording
PEEC eg of reliability
A strength of Milgram’s study is that it is considered reliable and so it can be replicated and produce consistent results. Milgram used standardised procedures, ensuring that the true participants experience of the experiment were as near identical as possible to each other. For example the experimenter issued the same 4 prods to the participants like ‘it is essential that you can continue with the experiment’. This means that the study can be repeated almost identically,but allows for the changing of certain variables to see if that variable has an effect on obedience. This can be seen in his variation studies. For example variation 7.
What are the applications of Milgram’s research
Shows us the potential infleunce the social situation can have on obedience. Undestand previous events eg behaviour of Nazi guards in WW2. Use obedience for ood eg police and army
Validity of Milgram’s study
Artificial setting & task so low in mundane realism and decrease ecological validity. High in experimental realism- people felt tension showing reacting as though situation was real. Milgram argued lab is similar to any other situation where an authority figure eg Dr
PEEC on validity
A weakness of this study is that it lacks ecological validity. This means that the findings do not necessarily apply to everyday life. The experimental setting was artifical enviroment where the ppts were asked to electrocute strangers if they got a wrong answer to memory questions. This is not something that people would be normally asked to do. This means that the study lacked mundane realism. However, Milgram argues that often people are in circumstances where they let a dentist drill your teeth which is why it may be considered normal.
Strength Milgram’s sampling technique
Allows an access to a wide range of people. Milgram’s study had a sample of 40 men of a variety of ages,occupations,and educational levels.
Strengths of quantitative and qualitive data in the same study
Quatitive data is measureable allows us to compare the obedience of participants eg 65& of people went up to maximum voltage.Qualitative data allows us to understand their experiences (sweating) indicating their obedience.
