Milgram (1963)

Question 0

Methodology: is the measure valid?

Answer 0

May not be valid as it’s not a True measure of obedience. argued that the ps didn’t think the situation was real. Behaviour is a result of demand characterises.

Question 1

Methodology: setting?

Answer 1

Lab so high control etc and easily replicable. Repeated 18 times.
However it meant it lacked ecological validity because uni campus you wouldn’t expect harm to be caused not reflective of real life.

Question 2

Alternative evidence?

Answer 2

Bickman (1974) different clothes asked passerbys etc 19% civilian 14% did with milkman and 38% with guard supports an develops shows it’s high in uniform took place in real life therefore develops.
Hoffling (1966) supports and develops as it wa in reals life so high in ecological validity 21 out of 22 obeyed
Rank an Jacobson (1977) only 2 nurses obeyed because they consulted with each other
Milgram (1974) 18 variations Howard s drop when another person disobeys
Obedience dropped to 10%

Question 3

Context

Answer 3

Obedience refers to a type of social influence that causes a person to act in response to a direct order
Adolf eichmann said to be a normal man 1961
Many believed it was due to “authoritarian personality”

Question 4

Aim

Answer 4

His aims was to assess obedience when the command given required destructive behaviour. To investigate what level of obedience would be shown when subjects were told to Adminster shocks

Question 5

Procedures

Answer 5

Volunteers 40 males aged between 20 and 50 job ranges
New haven area
Lab
paid 4.00 for an hour
Thought it was memory
Experimenter man dressed in grey lab coat 31 years old
Rigged draw teacher or learner
Ps given shock of 45v to test out
Confederate- mild mannered likeable 47 year old man who mentions he has a heart condition
15 to 450 Volts

Word pairs
Learner gave approx 3 wrong to every right
Prompts given: ‘the experiment requires you to continue’
‘You have no other choice, you must go on’ etc.
if the p asked about well being they were told ‘although the shocks may be painful there is no permanent damage’
Max voltage recorded
Debriefed and interviewed afterwards

Question 6

Results?

Answer 6

Before the experiment they estimated 0-3% would go to the full voltage 
In fact all ps went 300v (14 showed nervous laughter and smiling)
5 participants went no further 
3 ps had full blown seizures
26 ps administered full 450v
84% were happy to take part
14% were neutral
2%were sorry to have taken part 
80% said more like it should be done

Qualitative data:
“Subject observed sweating trembling stuttering”
“Nervous fits”

Question 7

Conclusions?

Answer 7

Normal people will obey destructive orders and are surprisingly obedient.
Ps faced internal conflict
The power of obedience outweighed their personal moral beliefs
The situation caused people to be obedient (Yale/payment/Novel situation)