Milgram Results

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

To investigate whether ordinary people would follow orders of an authority figure and give an innocent person a potentially harmful electric shock

Question 2

Sample

Answer 2

• advertisement in the local newspaper
• $4.50 for their participation
  -296 people responded, a range of occupations, age and education level were recruited.
• the sample was 40 males

Question 3

verbal prods

Answer 3

1. please continue
2. the experiment requires that you continue

Question 4

Findings

Answer 4

100% of 40 males went up to 300 V

65% of 40 males went up to 450V

Question 5

conclusion

Answer 5

Milgram concluded that the learner could not be heard or seen, the participants were more likely to follow orders to cause them harm. When the learner could be seen , the participants empathised more with the learner, which resulted in less obedience

Question 6

AO3

Generalisability

Answer 6

Weakness: The sample size as quite small of 40 males, which was not representative of the general population, as all participants were from New Haves

Strength: It can be generalised as they used the age range 20-50 and the participants occupations were varied

Question 7

Reliability

Answer 7

Milgram carried out a well controlled procedure ( he had a set of prompts , in a set order and had prepared the victims responses carefully). He made every effort to make the experience of each participant was the same, to avoid any bias. Therefore the controlled procedures meant that the study was replicable and so could be tested for reliability ( consistency in the results)

Question 8

Applications

Answer 8

The results of this study can be applied to real life situations of obedience to authority. It can help us explain the holocaust and Abu Ghraib where a leader gave orders to cause harm to others.

Question 9

Validity

Answer 9

The basic study lacked validity. This task lacked validity as this was not a true representation of real obedience and lacked realism. This is not a situation that we would encounter.

Question 10

Validity

Answer 10

Milgram’s study lacked ecological validity. Milgram tested obedience in a laboratory, which is very different to real life situations, where people are asked more subtle instructions , rather than admitting electric shocks .As a result we cannot generalise the findings to real life situations of obedience and cannot conclude that conclude that people would obey less severe instructions in the same way

Question 11

Variations ( EXPERIMENT7)- To test the effect on physical distance between the experiment and the teacher

Answer 11

22.5% of people went up to 450V

Question 12

Variation ( EXPERIMENT 10)- Relocated his experiment to a run down commercial building building to see if it would change anything in obedience

Answer 12

48% went up to 450V

Question 13

Variation ( EXPERIMENT 13) - NO LAB COAT, it was designed to test the role of authority and status of obedience.

Answer 13

20% went up to 450V