Milgram (obedience) Flashcards
In the Milgram study on obedience, the subjects were observed to show a lot of tension.
a) Give one example of the behaviour of the subjects that indicated extreme tension. [2]
b) Milgram suggested that the tension was caused by the conflicts produced by the study. Outline one of these conflicts. [2]
a) One example of the behaviour of the subjects that indicated extreme tension was the visible sweating that could be observed on their faces. Sweating is a sign of extreme tension as it is the body’s way of releasing stress hormones, so it is a clear sign of the anxiety and tension they felt while trying to complete the task that the experiment required them to do.
b) One of the conflicts that caused tension produced by the study was the inner moral conflict faced by the participant as to whether they should continue obeying the authoritative figure and follow their own moral principles that causing unnecessary harm to another human being is wrong.
In the Milgram study on obedience, the subjects were observed to show a lot of tension.Give one example of the behaviour of the subjects that indicated extreme tension. [2]
One example of the behaviour of the subjects that indicated extreme tension was the visible sweating that could be observed on their faces. Sweating is a sign of extreme tension as it is the body’s way of releasing stress hormones, so it is a clear sign of the anxiety and tension they felt while trying to complete the task that the experiment required them to do.
In the Milgram study on obedience, the subjects were observed to show a lot of tension. Milgram suggested that the tension was caused by the conflicts produced by the study. Outline one of these conflicts. [2]
One of the conflicts that caused tension produced by the study was the inner moral conflict faced by the participant as to whether they should continue obeying the authoritative figure and follow their own moral principles that causing unnecessary harm to another human being is wrong.
In the study by Milgram, how were the subjects recruited? [2]
In the Milgram, study subjects were recruited by self-selected sampling, which is when an advert is put in the local paper or on bulletin boards asking for participants (that may have to fit into a certain criteria, e.g. in this study Milgram wanted males only between the ages of 20-50, all from a particular area), and then participants will volunteer themselves for the study (eliminating any ethical consent issues).
Milgram’s study on obedience is often criticised for being unethical, though Milgram himself made a robust defence of it. Give two examples of how the ethics of this study can be defended. [4]
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The level of obedience in the Milgram study was a surprise to the researchers. Give four factors that were thought to contribute to this high level of obedience. [4]
Four factors thought to contribute to the high level of obedience include the authoritative figure wearing a white lab coat, symbolising power; the prods used, as it made the subject feel they should not withdraw; the fact that each participant was paid; as they feel obligated to stay; and the prestigious Yale University setting, as it made the participant feel they were contributing to some really important research.
Psychologists sometimes make the distinction between situational and individual explanations of behaviour. Consider the Milgram study and:
a) Give a situational explanation for the behaviour of the teachers [2]
b) Give an individual explanation for the behaviour of the teachers [2]
a)
b) An individual explanation for the behaviour of the teacher could be that a person with a more confident disposition to their personality could be more likely to stand up to the authoritative figure and walk out, whereas someone less confident may feel more obliged to obey and continue.
Psychologists sometimes make the distinction between situational and individual explanations of behaviour. Consider the Milgram study and give a situational explanation for the behaviour of the teachers. [2]
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Psychologists sometimes make the distinction between situational and individual explanations of behaviour. Consider the Milgram study and give an individual explanation for the behaviour of the teachers. [2]
An individual explanation for the behaviour of the teacher could be that a person with a more confident disposition to their personality could be more likely to stand up to the authoritative figure and walk out, whereas someone less confident may feel more obliged to obey and continue.
From the Milgram study on obedience, give on way in which the participants were deceived. [2]
One way that the participants were deceived was that they thought the screams were real when actually they were pre-recorded.
