Milgram Flashcards
When?
1963
Sample?
40 male participants who thought they were doing a memory test
the 3 roles?
learner - confederate
teacher - participant
experimenter - confederate in lab coat
procedureI
learner wired with electrodes in another room. Teacher administered electric shocks each time learner made a mistake when learning word pairs.
what was the range of volts?
15 to 450. At 300 learner pounded on wall and gave no reply.
what did experimenter say when teacher looked at them for guidance?
‘no answer = wrong answer’, ‘essential you continue’, ‘you have no choice’
results
12.5% stopped at 300 volts, 65% continued to 450 volts. participants showed extreme distress - sweating, trembling
LIMITATION: lacked internal validity
orne and holland suggest that participants guessed shocks were fake. Susceptible to demand characteristics.
STRENGTH: sheridan and kings study
found 54% and 100% females delivered what they thought was a fatal shock to a puppy when instructed to do so.
STRENGTH: external validity
lab-based relationship between experimenter and participants reflected real life authoritative relationships so results can be generalized.
STRENGTH: TV replication
contestants ordered to give shocks by the presenter. 80% delivered 450 volts to an unconscious man.
LIMITATION: unethical
criticized for deceiving participants as they believed shocks were real. This betrayal of trust damages researchers reputation and puts participants off of volunteering in the future.
