Milgram - Study Of Obedience Flashcards
What was the sample Milgram used in his study?
40 males aged between 20-50, from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds and educations who were paid $4.50 to participate
What was the methodology of Milgrams study?
It was conducted in a lab, however, it was not an experiment as it was an observation
What was the start of the procedure of Milgram (1963)?
The participants were greeted by two confederates , the ‘experimenter’ and Mr Wallace the accountant , the participants drew slips of paper to decide roles , the real ppt was always assinged the role of teacher and the confederate the learner.
What happened after the Participant drew the role of teacher? (Procedure of Milgram 1963)
Both learner and teacher were shown the experiment room and the learner was strapped to the ‘electric chair’ an electrode was placed on the learners wrist which was linked to the shock generator
Describe the shock machine (procedure Milgram 1963)
The machine had 30 switches on it each showing an incremental rise in voltage from 15 volts to 450 volts, every 4 labels there were ‘shock’ labels (e.g 15 v = slight shock , 450 v = XXX), the participant was given a ‘sample’ shock to prove it was real
Explain the learning task (procedure Milgram 1963)
The teacher was told to administer a shock when the learner gave a wrong answer , increasing the shock level each time, protests were made after 300 V at which the wall was punched.
Explain how the ‘experimenter’ encouraged the ‘teacher’ (Procedure)
There were 4 prods which were used , ranging from ‘please continue’ to ‘you have no other choice, you must go on’ , there was also special prods such as ‘although the shocks may be painful, there is no peremanant tisssue damage , so go on’
Explain what happened after the experiment (Procedure Milgram 1963)
After the research, the teacher was throughly dehoaxed (debriefed) and was reunited with the learner , they were interviewed about their experience in the study
What were the quantitative findings of Milgram (1963)?
12.5% of participants refused to procede past 300 V
65% of ppts adminstered the full 450 V’s
Meaning 35% defied the experimenters authority
What percentage of participants were going to adminster the full 450 Volts , estimated by the 14 Yale students? (Findings)
0-3%
What was Milgram trying to explain through his study of obidence?
The treatment of Jews in the concentration camps of Nazi Germany
What did Milgram conclude about obedience with his study?
That the circumstances in which a ppt found themselves in merged together to create a situation where it is difficult to disobey
E.g the ‘teachers’ were given very little time to make decisions
Conflict - to protect but obey authority
What are the two points of evaluation for Milgrams (1963) study of obidence?
Internal validity
Ethical issues
Explain the issues with internal validity that Milgrams (1963) study of obedience has
Other research claims that Milgram lacked internal validity as the ppts did not believe the shocks were real, so would be more likely to continue administering them (65% to 450V)
But Milgram recorded in 1974 that 75% of ppts believed they were real shocks
Explain the ethical issues of Milgram’s (1963) study of obedience
Research claims that Milgram caused Psychological damage to his ppts and couldn’t be justified , Milgram defended himself by saying that he didn’t know it would cause harm and highlighted that 84% off ppts said they were happy to take part
Later research claimed that Milgram failed his duty of care to his ppts as some ppts waited a year to be debriefed, even when some had left the lab fully believing they had killed someone
What are the 2 ethical issues of Milgrams study?
Potential for harm
No formal debrief
Why did Milgram conduct his 1963 research?
Did attempt to try and understand why German soldiers would commit the atrocities of the holocaust
