Milgram methodology and procedures

Question 1

How was the study conducted?

Answer 1

The study was a controlled observation but the study was conducted in a laboratory environment so that conditions could be controlled. However it was not an experiment.

Question 2

How did milgram gain his participants?

Answer 2

Milgram placed an advertisement in the new haven newspaper. From people who responded, he selected 40 males aged between 20 and 50 years

Question 3

What did the advertisement lead the participants to believe?

Answer 3

That they were taking part in research about memory and learning.

Question 4

What were the range of jobs the men in the sample had?

Answer 4

Postal clerks,

Engineers.

Question 5

What were the varies in educational level?

Answer 5

One who hadn’t even finished primary school and one with a doctorate.

Question 6

How much was each man payed?

Answer 6

Each man was payed $4.50 for participating in the study. They were told they would receive this money just for coming to the lab and payment did not depend on remaining in the study.

Question 7

Where did the study take place?

Answer 7

The study took place at Yale university.

Question 8

What happened when the participants arrived?

Answer 8

They were greeted by the ‘experimenter’ a 31 year old man dressed in a grey technicians coat.

Question 9

Another ‘participant’ was at the lab….

Answer 9

A mild mannered and likeable 47 year old accountant, mr Wallace

Question 10

Who were both these men accomplices of?

Answer 10

Milgram. They were called confederates

Question 11

How were the teacher and and learner roles decided?

Answer 11

The participants drew slips of paper to decide which of them would play the role of the teacher and learner. However this was rigged- the naive participant was always assigned the teacher role and the accomplice was always assigned the learner role.

Question 12

Where were the learner and teacher then taken?

Answer 12

They were then taken to the experimental room where the learner was strapped into an electric chair apparatus to stop excessive movement

Question 13

Where was the electrode placed and what did it link to?

Answer 13

On the learners wrist and was linked to a shock generator in the adjoining room.

Question 14

Where was the teacher then taken?

Answer 14

To the adjoining room and seated in front of the shock generator.

Question 15

How many switches did the large machine have on it?

Answer 15

30

Question 16

What did each switch show?

Answer 16

An incremental rise in voltage

Question 17

What did the shocks go up to?

Answer 17

Started at 15 volts and going up to 450 volts.

Question 18

For every four switches?

Answer 18

There were ‘shock labels’

Question 19

What voltage had a label saying ‘slight shock’ ?

Answer 19

15 volts

Question 20

What voltage had a label ‘intense shock’ ?

Answer 20

255 volts

Question 21

What voltage had the label ‘XXX’ ??

Answer 21

450 volts a potentially fatal shock

Question 22

What did the experimenter give the teacher?

Answer 22

A sample shock to demonstrate the machine was real.

Question 23

When was the teacher told do administer a shock?

Answer 23

When the learner gave a wrong answer, and to escalate to a higher level of shock each time. Announcing the shock level each time.

Question 24

What was the learner told to do?

Answer 24

To make no comment or protest until the shock level of 300 volts was reached, at this point he should pound on the wall but thereafter make no further comment.

Question 25

The experimenter was trained to give a sequence of four standard prods if the teacher hesitated about delivering the shock or asked for guidance, what were these?!

Answer 25

‘Please continue’
‘The experiment requires that you continue’
‘It is absolutely essential that you continue’
‘You have no other choice, you must go on’

Question 26

What was the special prods?

Answer 26

‘Although the shocks may be painful, there is no permanent tissue damage, so go on’

Question 27

After the research was completed, what did the experimenter do?

Answer 27

The teacher was thoroughly dehoaxed (debriefed) and the experimenter reunited the teacher and learner. They were then interviewed about their experience in the study.