Milgram (1963) Behavioural study of Obedience

Question 1

define obedience

Answer 1

obedience is a type of social influence where somebody acts in response to a direct order from another person (cardwell 1996)
This may mean the person is as instructed but may not have necessarily have changed their own opinions

Question 2

define legitimate authority

Answer 2

people obey because they see the authority of others as right/lawful

Question 3

define gradual commitment

Answer 3

once people comply with trivial, seemingly harmless request, they find it more difficult to refuse to carry out more serious, escalating requests

Question 4

Milgram had two aims when he conducted his research
FIRST AIM

Answer 4

first aim was to test the ‘germans are different hypothesis’.
This is the belief that obedience can be explained in terms of internal, dispositional factors * the belief that there is something innately specific to the German culture which means they are more likely to obey

Milgram strongly disputed this idea and thought it was more likely obedience occurred due to the situation rather than the culture

Question 5

SECOND AIM of Milgrams study

Answer 5

second aim which was to identify how the role of situational factors can influence obedience
Eg. the surroundings, or the tendency to obey those in authority figures who are in a position of authority over them even when the command requires destructive behaviours

Question 6

PROCEDURE

Answer 6

1. Milgram selected 40 males from people who responded to a newspaper
   advertisement that was placed in a New Haven newspaper.

2.The men believed that they were to participate in a study of memory and learning (the study was actually studying levels of obedience).

3. The men were aged between 20-50 and had a variety of jobs (high school teachers,
   salesmen, and engineers etc.).
4. The educational levels of the men also varied from one who had not finished elementary school, to those who had doctorates and degrees.
5. Each man was paid $4.50 for their participation in the experiment. However, they were told that the money was for attending the lab and they could keep it regardless of what happened after they had arrived.

Question 7

METHODOLOGY

Answer 7

The study was conducted in a laboratory so the conditions could be strictly monitored.
It was not an experiment though, because there was no IV. Even though the level of shock was altered it was not an IV as there was only one condition the participants experienced