Milgram Variations (Experiment 7, 10 and 13)

Question 1

Experiment 7

Answer 1

• The experiment varied the physical closeness of the experimenter and the degree of surveillance he exercised
• In the experiment, after giving initial instructions the experimenter left the laboratory and gave his orders by telephone
• The obedience levels dropped sharply when the experimenter was physically removed from the laboratory
• Only 22.5% of the participants delivered the maximum shock, and some administer lower shocks than they were supposed to give to the learner
• Subjects seemed to be able to resist the experimenter far better when they didn’t have to confront them.
• Showed that the physical presence of an authority was an important force contributing to the subject’s obedience or defiance

Question 2

Strength of Experiment 7

Answer 2

• One strength is that other studies found a link between low proximity decreasing obedience
• Sedikikes and Jackson found in NY Bronx Zoo the further away the authority figure is, the less likelihood guests were to obey their instructions to not lean against the railing
• Suggesting that Milgram’s finding on proximity’s effect on obedience also applies to realistic situations

Question 3

Weakness of Experiment 7

Answer 3

• One weakness with the study is that the tasks were highly artificial
• The task of being told to shock someone through a telephone is unlike everyday examples of distance obedience
• Therefore, the finding of proximity effect on obedience demonstrated in these shocking tasks might not be appliable to the obedience or defiance of more mundane tasks

Question 4

Experiment 10

Answer 4

• The experiment was conducted in a three-room office in a rundown commercial building
• This was done to see if the experiment would yield the same results without the label of Yale University and instead conducted by ‘Research Associated of Bridgeport’
• The lab was sparsely furnished, though clean and having a respectable appearance
• A large proportion of Bridgeport’s subjects were fully obedient to the experimenter’s commands, 48% delivered maximum shock and in Yale 65% delivered maximum shock
• The finding can show the less reputable the place, it reduced the legitimacy of the study, so obedience rates were reduced

Question 5

Strength of Experiment 10

Answer 5

• One strength of the study is that it has high degree of controls
• All the conditions and events in the study were kept the same as the original study such as the prods given, recorded voice lines from the learner, shock machine, however the only difference was the less legitimate environment in the rundown office
• Establishing a cause effect relationship between the lessened obedience and the less legitimate environment

Question 6

Weakness of Experiment 10

Answer 6

• One weakness with the study is that the tasks were highly artificial
• The task of being told to shock someone through a telephone is unlike everyday examples of distance obedience
• Therefore, the finding of proximity effect on obedience demonstrated in these shocking tasks might not be appliable to the obedience or defiance of more mundane tasks

Question 7

Experiment 13

Answer 7

• The experiment was to see whether people will obey an order due to the strength of the command or the status of the person giving the order
• The participants arrive with two confederates and one confederate was assigned the learner role and the other assigned to the tole of recording times from a clock
• The researcher who gave instructions informs the participants that he has to leave and indicts that the subject should go on with the experiment until all the word pairs are learned perfectly
• After the researcher leaves the confederate with some enthusiasm says to increase the shock level every time the learner makes a mistake and insists to follow this procedure
• 80% of the participants refused to continue with the ordinary man, showing that the order must come from a legitimate source to be effective

Question 8

Strength of Experiment 13

Answer 8

• One strength is that other studies found a link between a lesser authority figure decreasing obedience
• Sedikikes and Jackson found in the NY Bronx zoo, when comparing a zookeeper in uniform against a person wearing normal t-shirt, participants were more likely to comply with the zookeeper’s orders to not lean against a railing.

Question 9

Weakness of Experiment 13

Answer 9

• One weakness with the study is that the tasks were highly artificial
• The task of being told to shock someone through a telephone is unlike everyday examples of distance obedience
• Therefore, the finding of proximity effect on obedience demonstrated in these shocking tasks might not be appliable to the obedience or defiance of more mundane tasks