Milgram’s Classic Study (1963) Flashcards
What is obedience in social psychology?
Obedience is a type of social influence where an individual’s behavior is influenced by real or imagined pressure from another, specifically compliance to the demands of an authority figure.
What is the difference between obedience and dissent?
Yielding to the demands of an authority figure is considered obedience, while rejecting these demands is known as dissent.
What was the aim of Milgram’s research?
To investigate how far people would go in obeying an instruction given by an authority figure if it involved harming another person.
What were the key findings of Milgram’s experiment?
65% of participants delivered the maximum 450V shock, and all participants continued to deliver shocks up to 300V.
What was the procedure of Milgram’s experiment?
40 volunteers were recruited, given roles of ‘Learner’ and ‘Teacher,’ and the ‘Teacher’ administered electric shocks for wrong answers, increasing up to 450V.
True or False: Milgram’s study suggested that obedience is ingrained in most people.
True.
What was the rationale behind Milgram’s experiment?
Milgram aimed to prove that situational factors, rather than dispositional character flaws, led to high levels of obedience seen in Nazi soldiers.
Fill in the blank: The degree to which study results from a sample can be generalized to a larger target group of interest is known as _______.
population validity.
What is mundane realism?
Mundane realism refers to the degree to which the materials and procedures in an experiment are similar to real-world events.
What does a controlled experiment entail?
An experiment where many variables are kept consistent while only the independent variable is changed and the dependent variable measured.
What ethical guideline ensures participants can end their involvement at any time?
Right to withdraw.
What is the definition of protection from harm in psychological research?
Participants must be protected from physical and mental harm, and should not be exposed to risks greater than those encountered in their normal lifestyles.
What were the independent and dependent variables in Milgram’s study?
- Independent variable: Authority figure’s presence
- Dependent variable: Level of shocks administered.
What is the main conclusion drawn from Milgram’s study?
Most people would harm others as long as they are being instructed by an authority figure.
What is an example of real-world application of Milgram’s findings?
Milgram’s findings have been used to train trainee pilots to challenge errors made by their captain, potentially reducing plane crashes.
