Obedience

Question 1

What was Milgram’s procedure?

Answer 1

• At the beginning of the experiment each participant was introduced to another (who was actually a confederate).
• They draw straws to determine their roles – learner or teacher – although this was fixed. The participant was always going to be the teacher.
• Room was set up with teacher and experimenter in the same room, and the learner in another (couldn’t be seen but could be heard)
• The teacher is told to administer an electric shock every time the learner makes a mistake, increasing in 15 volts each time up to 450 volts.
• There were 4 prods and if one was not obeyed then the experimenter read out the next prod, and so on e.g. The experiment requires that you
  continue.

Question 2

Who investigated obedience?

Answer 2

Milgram

Question 3

What were Milgram’s findings?

Answer 3

• All participants (i.e. teachers) continued to 300 volts
• 65% (two-thirds) of participants continued to the highest
  level of 450 volts
• Qualitative data (through observations) showed participants experienced extreme tension (sweating, groaning, digging fingernails into their hands, three had uncontrollable seizures)

Question 4

Which situational variables did Milgram investigate in his study?

Answer 4

• Proximity
• Location
• Uniform

Question 5

Explain the touch proximity situational variable

Answer 5

• Milgram made the Teacher be in the same room as the learner
• If the learner resisted, the teacher would force their hand onto the shock pad
• Obedience dropped to 30%

Question 6

Explain the proximity situational variable

Answer 6

• When teachers and learners sat in the same room , obedience fell to 40%

Question 7

Explain the remote proximity situational variable

Answer 7

• When the experimenter left and gave further orders on the phone, obedience fell to 20.5%

Question 8

Explain the location situational variable

Answer 8

• Milgram ran the study again in a run-down office instead of a laboratory
• Obedience levels fell to 47.5%

Question 9

Explain the uniform situational variable

Answer 9

• Experimenter (wearing a lab coat) was called away and replaced with a “member of the public” (confederate) wearing normal clothes
• Obedience fell to 20%