Milgram Obedience

Question 1

Describe the main purpose of Milgram’s 1963 experiment.

Answer 1

The main purpose was to investigate whether individuals would obey authority figures even when the actions they were instructed to take were morally wrong.

Question 2

How did Milgram manipulate the authority in his experiment?

Answer 2

Milgram employed two confederates, one acting as a legitimate authority figure in a lab coat and the other as a participant receiving shocks.

Question 3

Define the role of the confederate in Milgram’s study.

Answer 3

The confederate played the role of a learner who would purposely give wrong answers, prompting the actual participant to administer electric shocks.

Question 4

What was the maximum voltage participants were instructed to administer in the experiment?

Answer 4

The maximum voltage marked was severe and set at 450 volts.

Question 5

How did participants react when the confederate showed signs of pain?

Answer 5

Only 12.5% of participants stopped administering shocks when the confederate showed he was in pain.

Question 6

What percentage of participants obeyed the authority figure all the way to the maximum voltage?

Answer 6

65% of participants obeyed and continued the experiment up to the maximum voltage of 450 volts.

Question 7

Discuss a limitation of Milgram’s experiment regarding ecological validity.

Answer 7

The experiment was conducted in a lab setting, which lacked ecological validity and may not reflect real-world situations.

Question 8

Explain the significance of the ‘legitimate authority figure’ in Milgram’s findings.

Answer 8

The presence of a legitimate authority figure led participants to commit morally questionable actions, highlighting the influence of authority on behavior.

Question 9

What was the participants’ perception of the pain experienced by the confederate, according to Holland?

Answer 9

Many participants did not believe that the confederate receiving shocks was legitimately in pain.

Question 10

How did the participants’ background influence their perception of the experiment’s legitimacy?

Answer 10

Participants, particularly students at Yale, may have felt a sense of ignorance, believing the university would not allow such a barbaric experiment.

Question 11

Describe the impact of the experimenter’s attire on obedience levels in Milgram’s study.

Answer 11

When the experimenter did not wear a lab coat, obedience levels dropped.

Question 12

How did Slater et al replicate Milgram’s experiment?

Answer 12

Slater et al replicated the experiment using a virtual learner in a film.

Question 13

What was observed in participants during Slater et al’s replication of Milgram’s experiment?

Answer 13

Participants still obeyed, although a heart rate recorder indicated distress.

Question 14

Define the effect of communication method on obedience in Milgram’s variations.

Answer 14

When the experimenter spoke on the phone, obedience levels dropped.

Question 15

How do Milgram’s findings relate to the legitimate authority theory?

Answer 15

Milgram’s findings support the legitimate authority theory, which suggests that people are more likely to obey authority figures.

Question 16

What ethical issues were raised in Milgram’s study of obedience?

Answer 16

Ethical issues included breach of BPS Guidelines, deception, removal of the right to withdraw, lack of informed consent, and failure to protect participants from harm.

Question 17

Explain the issue of deception in Milgram’s study.

Answer 17

Participants were not informed about the true nature of the experiment or who was actually involved.

Question 18

What does the right to withdraw mean in the context of Milgram’s study?

Answer 18

Participants were allowed to withdraw from the study but were pressured not to do so.

Question 19

How was consent problematic in Milgram’s obedience study?

Answer 19

Participants consented to a different experiment than the one they actually participated in.

Question 20

What was lacking in terms of participant protection in Milgram’s study?

Answer 20

Participants were not tested on their ability to cope with the demands of the test and were not protected from harm.

Question 21

Describe the impact of absent authority on obedience in Milgram’s Variation #7.

Answer 21

In Variation #7, the physical presence of the authority figure was removed, leading to a significant drop in obedience to 22.5%. Participants were more likely to give lower shocks, believing they were unobserved.

Question 22

How did the setting of the study affect obedience in Variation #10?

Answer 22

In Variation #10, moving the study to a run-down office in Bridgeport resulted in a drop in obedience to 45.5%. However, Milgram concluded that the setting was less important than the status of the authority figure.

Question 23

Define the role of the authority figure in Milgram’s experiments.

Answer 23

The authority figure, represented by Mr. Williams, plays a crucial role in influencing obedience, as seen in variations where their presence or status significantly affected participants’ willingness to administer shocks.

Question 24

What was the outcome of Variation #13/13a regarding ordinary authority figures?

Answer 24

In Variation #13/13a, only 20% of participants obeyed the confederate’s suggestion to increase the shock voltage, indicating that the authority figure’s status and clear instructions are vital for obedience.

Question 25

How did participants react in Variation #10 when the study was moved to Bridgeport?

Answer 25

Participants in Variation #10 showed more doubts, asked more questions, and some expressed intentions to complain, indicating a decrease in perceived authority.

Question 26

Explain the significance of the telephone communication in Variation #7.

Answer 26

In Variation #7, communication with the authority figure was conducted over the telephone, which contributed to a significant decrease in obedience, highlighting the importance of physical presence.

Question 27

What conclusion did Milgram draw from the results of Variation #7?

Answer 27

Milgram concluded that the physical presence of an authority figure is important for obedience, as removing this presence led to a notable decrease in compliance.

Question 28

Discuss the participants’ behavior in Variation #10 compared to the original study.

Answer 28

In Variation #10, participants exhibited more skepticism and questioned the study’s ethics, contrasting with the higher obedience levels observed in the original study at Yale.

Question 29

How did the absence of direct instructions affect obedience in Variation #13/13a?

Answer 29

The absence of direct instructions from the authority figure in Variation #13/13a led to only 20% obedience, suggesting that clear directives are essential for compliance.

Question 30

Summarize the findings of Milgram’s variations regarding authority and obedience.

Answer 30

Milgram’s variations demonstrated that both the physical presence and the perceived status of the authority figure significantly influence levels of obedience among participants.

Question 31

Describe the procedure used in Variation 13a of Milgram’s study.

Answer 31

In Variation 13a, Milgram used the 16 ‘rebel’ participants from Variation #13, continuing the study as if it were the same one. The confederate suggested swapping roles, where the confederate delivered shocks while the disobedient participant recorded the times.

Question 32

How did participants react when they became bystanders in Variation 13a?

Answer 32

All 16 participants protested, with five attempting to unplug the shock generators or physically restrain the confederate. However, 11 participants (68.75%) allowed the confederate to administer shocks up to 450V.

Question 33

Define the main conclusion drawn by Milgram from Variation 13a.

Answer 33

Milgram concluded that people are more willing to be by than to intervene against the abuse of authority, suggesting that the situation a person is in often influences their actions more than their individual character.

Question 34

What role did the confederate play in Variation 13a of Milgram’s study?

Answer 34

In Variation 13a, the confederate took on the role of the shock giver while the disobedient participant became a bystander recording the times instead of administering shocks.

Question 35

How many participants attempted to physically intervene in Variation 13a?

Answer 35

Five participants attempted to physically intervene by trying to unplug the shock generators or restrain the confederate.

Question 36

What percentage of participants allowed the confederate to administer shocks to the maximum voltage in Variation 13a?

Answer 36

68.75% of the participants, which is 11 out of 16, allowed the confederate to administer shocks up to 450V.

Question 37

Explain the significance of the statement by Stanley Milgram regarding human behavior in his study.

Answer 37

Milgram’s statement emphasizes that it is often the situation a person finds themselves in, rather than their personal characteristics, that determines their behavior in response to authority.