Milgram (1963) Strengths and Weaknesses

Question 1

1. Internal Validity: its possible that participants didn’t really believe

Answer 1

they were inflicting electric shocks

Question 2

1. Internal Validity: its possible the participants were

Answer 2

just following instructions and believing the electric shocks weren’t real

Question 3

1. Internal Validity: Milgram claimed

Answer 3

participants stressed reactions showed they believed the experiment was real

Question 4

2. Ecological Validity: the participants took part in a task that

Answer 4

wouldn’t likely occur in real life

Question 5

2. Ecological Validity: because you wouldn’t necessarily shock someone in real life

Answer 5

the study lacks ecological validity

Question 6

2. Ecological Validity: because the study was a laboratory study

Answer 6

there was good control over the variables

Question 7

2. Ecological Validity: it is easy to establish a

Answer 7

cause and effect

Question 8

3. Ethical Issues: the participants didn’t know

Answer 8

the true nature of the study and so, they were deceived

Question 9

3. Ethical Issues: the participants couldn’t give

Answer 9

informed consent

Question 10

3. Ethical Issues: the participants weren’t given a

Answer 10

right to withdraw if they felt uncomfortable

Question 11

3. Ethical Issues: the participants were

Answer 11

prompted to continue if they wanted to stop

Question 12

3. Ethical Issues: the participants showed signs of stress which means they

Answer 12

weren’t protected

Question 13

3. Ethical Issues: after the experiment, the participants were debriefed and

Answer 13

84% of them were pleased that they took part in the experiment