milgram’s variations 7, 10, 13

Question 1

What is experiment 7 called?

Answer 1

telephonic instructions/closeness of authority/experimenter absent

Question 2

What was the aim of experiment 7?

Answer 2

To see if having the experimenter in the room faceted the level of obedience, so this was carried out with the experimenter in touch by phone.

Question 3

What was the procedure of experiment 7?

Answer 3

There was physical distance between the experimenter and the teacher. Initial instructions were given face-to-face, and then the experimenter would leave the room and would continue to give the instructions via a telephone

Question 4

What were the results of experiment 7?

Answer 4

The number of ppts willing to give 450 volts SHARPLY FELL from 65% to 22.5%.
Ppts continued to give lower shocks, rather than increasing the voltage, and when the experimenter asked about this they would lie, saying that they had increased the shocks.

Question 5

What was concluded from experiment 7?

Answer 5

When the experimenter is not face-to-face with the pot; it is easier to not obey. Physical presence was an important force. If the experimenter returned to the lab, then obedience was obtained again

Question 6

What is a strength of experiment 7?

Answer 6

Milgram used a clear standardised procedure, so all ppts experienced the same experiment, same controls, Yale University, with the ppt always being the teacher. This increases the reliability of the experiment.

Question 7

What is a weakness of experiment 7?

Answer 7

The experiment takes place in an artificial setting, not true to real life and not natural, therefore the validity of the data gathered in questionable.

Question 8

What was exp 10 called?

Answer 8

rundown office block/institutional context

Question 9

What was the aim of exp 10?

Answer 9

To see if outcome would be similar as the original research was carried out at Yale University, a prestigious university. follow-up interviews showed ppts felt the nature of the university provided them confidence to take part, which might be different if it was done somewhere with less respect.

Question 10

What was the procedure of exp 10?

Answer 10

A rundown commercial office building was used in the town of Bridgeport - ’Research Associates of Bridgeport. Same procedures were followed as original, although building was sparsely furnished. The lab was clean. The research pers said that they were from a private firm

Question 11

What were the results of exp 10?

Answer 11

Ppts have more doubts - 1ppt made notes and asked himself a number of questions about the legitimacy of the research, another ppt questioned his own judgement and thought that the study was ’heartless’. Obedience did not drop that much. 47.5% gave full 450 volts compared to 65% in original research. This was a lower level of obedience, but Milgram did not think it was a significant difference.

Question 12

What did exp 10 conclude?

Answer 12

The idea of having legitimate setting does seem to be backed by evidence, however it is barely significant. Ppts questioned credentials of the company on arrival, but still obeyed. Milgram gave example that people deposit money in prestigious looking backs and seeding ones, so people will obey experiments regardless of where lab is.

Question 13

What is a strength of exp 10?

Answer 13

Setting of exp is more true to real life as it is not Yale Univeristy, but ’in the real world’, therefore increasing validity of the exp.

Question 14

What is a weakness of exp 10?

Answer 14

Obedience rate did not actually fall too much, and may be seen as a scientific exp requiring ppts to actually cooperate with the experimenter, therefore the validity (demand characteristics) is affected

Question 15

What is exp 13 called?

Answer 15

ordinary man gives orders

Question 16

What is the aim of exp 13?

Answer 16

To see whether an order given by someone without authority is followed. In particular to see if an order made by an ordinary man, who it is clear holds no authority unlike his predecessor is carried out.

Question 17

What is the procedure of exp 13?

Answer 17

Experimenter gives instructions about administering the shock, but then gets ‘called away’ and leaves the room. There is an accomplice in the room who was initially given the task of recording the times and the ppt thinks is another ppt like him and the learner. accomplicemakes a suggestion of increasing the shocks one at a time as the victim makes a mistake.

Question 18

What were the results of exp 13?

Answer 18

The experimenter leaving makes an awkward atmosphere, which undermined the credibility of the experiment. only 20% of ppts gave full volts. 80% ppts broke away from the ordinary man’s instructions, even though the accomplice urged them to continue. When the ppt refused the orders of the ‘ordinary man’, there was an adaptation to the exp - the accomplice suggested that he and the ppt swapped roles and the ppt took over recording - 16/20 watched the distressing scene as the ordinary man gave the shocks. all 16 protested and 5 tried to disconnect the generator or physically restrain the accomplice.

Question 19

Why was concluded from exp 13?

Answer 19

Levels of obedience fell dramatically with an ordinary man who had no perceived authority. Ppts did not like seeing the ‘ordinary man’ giving the shocks, but were not able to prevent it

Question 20

What is a strength of exp 13?

Answer 20

Milgram used a clear standardised procedure, so all ppts experienced the same experiment, same controls Yale University, with the ppt always being the teacher. This increases reliability of the experiment.

Question 21

What is a weakness of exp 13?

Answer 21

There is still a lot of authority in the situation, with the apparatus and the location of Yale (prestigious). Just having another ppt might not remove the authority from the situation, affecting the **validity*b