Milgram (issues and debates)

Question 1

Nature explanation (Milgram)

Answer 1

• Humans may have an innate predisposition to obey authority figures.
• This predisposition may be rooted in evolutionary psycholgy where following authority figures may aided survival in ancestral enviorments)

Question 2

Milgram explanation: Nurture

Answer 2

• The behaviour exhibited in the study may suggest that obedience is partially a learned social behaviour through operant conditioning. As individuals operating in society may receive postive reinforcemnet for following an authoirity figure increasing the likelihood that this behaviour will be perfomed again or punishment for not following an established authority figure (not paying taxes can lead to prison)
• It could be suggested that the ppts anticpated punishment thus followed authority

• societal norms, expectaions and situational pressures can work to override an indiviudals moral compass.

Question 3

Milgram Explanation: Situational

Answer 3

• The findings suggets there are situational factors that can affect obedience such as the percieved leigmtimacy of the social context or authority figure

Question 4

Milgram explanation: Individual

Answer 4

• 5 ppts stopped at 300 V
• Differences in responses could have been caused by personality differences.
• Those who did apply the maximum voltage level may have an authoritarian personality. Which is a personality type characterized by a disposition to treat authority figures with unquestioning obedience and respect.
• Thoes who didnt adminster the max voltage may be more resistant to authority than others.

Question 5

Authoritarian personality

Answer 5

Which is a personality type characterized by a disposition to treat authority figures with unquestioning obedience and respect.

Question 6

Evaluate the ethics of the study: Informed consent, Deception, Right to Withdraw

Answer 6

INFORMED CONSENT: Ptts did not give informed consent as they were told the study was about memory and punishment.
DECEPTION: Decieved into beliving they had chosen the role of the teacher by chance, deceived by the condederates, they thought the learner was experincing pain.
RIGHT TO WITHDRAW: The use of verbal prods made it harder to withdraw consent from the study and also the feelings of obligation. However, 1 ppts did exercise this right half way.

Question 7

Evaluate the ethics of the study: Protection from harm

Answer 7

• Many experinced visible and extreme distress. But the procedure was only stopped for 1 trial.
  *There may have been lasting negative consequences as they may have been deeply disturbed by their own actions.

Question 8

How did the study damage the reputation of psychology at the time?

Answer 8

• Distrust towards psychology
• The research caused outrage at the time of its publication
• People may not want to be involved in any future studies

Question 9

Evaluate the ethics: Debreifing

Answer 9

• ppts were debriefed and told the true aim of the study
• Reassured they had not done any real harm
• The ppts met with the learner to see he was unharmed

Question 10

How can the results be applied in everyday life?

Answer 10

• Policies can be implemented in organisations to reduce destructive obedience. (Whistle blowing policies so people can safely challenge orders they deemed to be harmful)
• Situational factors identified in the study may be used in schools, prisons to increase obedience. (uniform)