Milgram’s Baseline Study

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

Wanted to understand behaviour of Germans who followed orders during holocaust
Test obedience to legitimate authority and see if they would obey a neutral or constructive order, with little reason to not obey

Question 2

Sample

Answer 2

Volunteers
40 men
Aged 20-50
Variety of jobs, professions, education
Recruited through local newspaper
Paid $4.50

Question 3

Procedure

Answer 3

Participant introduced to Experimenter, and confederate (mr wallace)
Picked name out of hat but both said teacher, so wallace always learner
Wallace strapped into chair in another room with electrodes
Teacher sat infront of shock machine from 15V to 450, said slight shock and XXX
Teacher gave learner shock every mistake, increasing by 15V
Teacher delivered 300V learner pounded on wall, no sound after 315V
If teacher protested, experimenter used standardised prompts - you must continue
Teacher protested after 4th prompt, they could leave

Question 4

Findings

Answer 4

65% went to 450V
100% went to 300V, 12.5% disobeyed at this point
Participants sweat, bite lips, dig fingernails into flesh, 35% nervous laughter, 3 seizures

Question 5

Conclusion

Answer 5

Ordinary americans obedient to legitimate authority

Question 6

Strength

Answer 6

Every participant has same experience
Experimenter’s prompts the same, same tone/words/order
Replicable, (burger 2009)

Question 7

CA

Answer 7

Perry (2012) there were occasions when experimenter deviated from script, allegedly gave 20 prods
May not be standardised

Question 8

Weakness

Answer 8

Orne and Holland (2012)
Participants guessed shocks were fake but went along with procedure anyway
Perry (2012) also had participants question shocks
Lacked construct validity

Question 9

Application

Answer 9

Tarnow (2000)
Officers fail to monitor challenge errors made by captain due to legitimate authority
Training first officers to challenge authority of pilots could prevent 20% plane crashes