Milgram (1963) Flashcards
Milgram date
1963
Milgram Date
Obedience to Authority
Method: milgram conducted a number of
Laboratory experiments
Method: what was being tested?
Factors thought to affect obedience
Method: this condition tested whether people would
Obey orders to shock someone in a separate room
Method: where did the experiment take place?
Yale University
Method: how many people took part?
40
Method: what gender were the participants?
Male
Method: where did they get the participants from?
A newspaper advert
Method: were the participants payed?
Yes
Method: what did the experimenter wear?
A white lab coat
Method: each participant was introduced to a
Confederate whom they were paired with
Method: the participant and the confederate were then randomly labelled either
‘Teacher’ or ‘learner’
The participant was always the ‘teacher’ and the confederate was always the ‘learner’
Method: the participant watched as the
Confederate was strapped into a chair and connected to a shock generator
Method: the volts went from
15 volts to 450 volts (labeled XXX as that amount of electricity can kill)
Method: the teacher taught the learner
word pairs over an intercom
Method: when the learner got one wrong
they received an increased electric shock
Method: after 300 volts
the learner pounded on the wall and made no further responces
Method: if the participant hesitated during the process
the experimenter told them to continue
“you must continue”
Method: debriefing included
an interview
questionnaires
being reunited with the ‘learner’
Results: how many administrated the 450 volt shock?
26 participants
65%
Results: now many stopped before 300 volts?
none, they all continued past 300
Results: most participants showed obvious signs of
stress such as sweating, groaning and trembling
Conclusion: ordinary people will
obey orders to hurt someone else even if it means acting against their conscience
