Milgram's Original Study

Question 1

What were the two aims behind Miligram’s Study of Obedience?

Answer 1

-find out whether participants would obey orders from an authority even if it went against their values.
>specifically- delivering electric shocks to a confederate that is powerful enough to kill

-test under what conditions people would obey and dissent

Question 2

Define confederate:

Answer 2

• someone who helps someone else to do something

- fake paticipant

Question 3

Describe ,in detail, the procedure of Milgram’s Study of Obedience?

Answer 3

• 40 men( aged 20-50) volunteered by ad on newspaper
• roles were assigned by experimenter in lab coat - to be teacher by participant and confederate pretended to be a participant.
• the teacher saw learner being strapped in chair with the shock machine
• machines with switches from 15v to 450v with labels like’Danger’
• learner was given word pairs to learn and with every mistake made, shock went up by 15v
• experimenter had pre scripted prods- ‘please continue’ ‘this expt requires you to continue’

Question 4

What were the results in Milgram’s Study of Obedience?

Answer 4

• all 40 participants were obedient till 300v
• between 300v-375v , 35% dropped out of study and 65% carried on to 450v.
• participants were observed as: trembling, sweating, nervous laughter, stuttering

Question 5

What were the conclusion in Milgram’s Study of Obedience?

Answer 5

• ordinary people are obedient to authority when asked to behave inhumanly
• any one can commit abhorrent acts when placed under the right pressure