Milgram's Behavioural Study of Obedience (obedience) Flashcards
participants
40 male Americans between the ages of 20-50
the real participant always had the role of
teacher
the confederate always had the role of
learner
they were told the purpose of the experiment was…
to assess the effect of punishment on the learning process
range of shock levels
- 15-450V
- slight shock - XXX (death)
at certain points the learner would…
- cry out in pain
- at 180V complain of a heart problem
the experimenter had a list of … to motivate the teacher to continue
prompts
how many participants continued to 300V
all
what percentage of participants administered the maximum shock
65%
conclusion
when given orders by a figure of authority, we are more likely to obey
participants were deceived, meaning that…
the study is unethical
Milgram did not take adequate measures to protect the participants from…
stress and emotional conflict
the study was conducted in a lab, meaning that…
- it lacks ecological validity
- results are more valid because of the highly controlled environment
participants were self-selected, meaning that…
they are not representative
participants were paid simply for coming to the laboratory, so…
they were more likely to obey orders, which Milgram himself admitted
the participants were all male, meaning that…
- the results cannot be generalised to females
the repeat experiment with females showed…
the same 65% obedience rate
several variations have been conducted in different cultures, showing similar results, meaning that…
the results are more reliable
