MILGRAM (1963)

Question 1

what was the background to milgram’s study?

Answer 1

following WW2, historians suggested Germans must have has some form of basic defect that allowed them to blindly obey their authority figures + commit such atrocities
- Milgrim wanted to test whether Germans are different or if anyone is capable of being as obedient as Nazi’s if they’re put in a similar situation

Question 2

what was the aim of milgram’s study?

Answer 2

to investigate the process of obedience by testing how far ordinary americans would go in obeying an authority figure

Question 3

how did milgram ask for participants?

Answer 3

in an advert in the newspaper (self-selecting) - any profession, 500 new haven men aged 20-50, NO high school/college students, paid participants $4.50

Question 4

what was the sample of this study?

Answer 4

they were meant to have 500 men, but only got 40 men

Question 5

what were the quantitative findings?

Answer 5

• no participants left before 300v
• 65% of participants continued to 450V
• 14 participants showed nervous laughter
• 3 participants had full blown uncontrollable seizures

Question 6

what were the qualitative findings?

Answer 6

• observed to sweat, tremble, stutter, bit lips, groan, dig fingernails into their flesh
• quotes

Question 7

what were the ‘prods’ the experimenter was told to use to prevent the ‘teachers’ from ending their involvement in the experiment?

Answer 7

• ‘please continue’
• ‘the experiment requires that you continue’
• ‘it is absolutely essential that you continue’
• ‘you have no other choice, you must go on’

Question 8

why was the investigation described as a ‘controlled observation’?

Answer 8

the surroundings were kept the same (e.g. test shock, word pair task, 4 prods etc.), and the experimenter is not directly involved in the experiment, he is merely observing the participants actions

Question 9

what were some of the quotes from the participants (qualitative findings)?

Answer 9

• ‘well it’s not fair to shock the guy.’
• ‘I’m sorry, I can’t do that to a man. I’ll hurt his heart. You take your money.’
• ‘Oh, I can’t go on with this’
• ‘These are terrific volts. I don’t think this is very humane’

Question 10

what were the conclusions of this study?

Answer 10

• the situation produced strong tendencies to obey and it caused emotion strain and tension on the participants
• overall- german’s aren’t different and do not have a defect

Question 11

why were there high levels of obedience?

Answer 11

• experiment took place at Yale University - which is a credible institution with a good reputation
• participants believed it would be a useful study
• they volunteered - felt obliged + they were paid
• mr wallace ‘volunteered’ too (they thought)
• participants were told shocks weren’t dangerous

Question 12

why were there high levels of tension experienced by participants?

Answer 12

• they could hear mr wallace banging/feeling distressed - they didn’t want to hurt another man, felt bad
• not a normal, everyday activity to shock someone

Question 13

apparatus/materials needed

Answer 13

• electrodes
• chairs
• shock generator
• list of word pairs
• intercom
• battery - 45V
• tables
• 2 rooms
• one way mirror

Question 14

what were the controls in this experiment?

Answer 14

• experimenter and learner
• 4 prods
• 300v distressed response from learner
• test shock
• word pair task
• shock generator

Question 15

what were the strengths of this study?

Answer 15

• participants consented, willing to do the task
• age range is large
• clear procedure - standardised
• similar jobs to the german’s before they became nazi’s

Question 16

what were the weaknesses of the study?

Answer 16

• small sample size
• unethical - physical harm (e.g seizures, biting lip, digging nails into flesh etc.) and psychological harm (stress etc.)
• not an accurate representation of the holocaust
• unrepresentative - maybe more co-operative?
• only men, not women
• usefulness is limited