obedience

Question 1

define obedience

Answer 1

direct response of an instruction from an authoritative figure

Question 2

milgrams research
location:

Answer 2

yale university

Question 3

milgrams research
participants:

Answer 3

40 male teachers, range of ages

Question 4

milgrams research
sampling:

Answer 4

volunteer through newspaper

Question 5

milgrams research
method:

Answer 5

• experimenter (actor), learner (actor), teacher (naive pp)
• participants told a memory study
• learner strapped to ‘shock’ machine
• teacher (pp) assess learner on recall
• if wrong teacher has to give a shock to the learner
• volts from 15-450
• experimenter urges teacher to continue (max 4 prompts)

Question 6

milgrams research
results

Answer 6

100% gave 300v shock
65% gave 450v

Question 7

milgrims situational variables
proximity:

Answer 7

teacher + learner in same room
40% gave 450v (down 25%)

Question 8

milgrims situational variables
proximity (toucher)

Answer 8

teacher holds learners hand on electric plate
30% to 450v (down 35%)

Question 9

milgrims situational variables
proximity (remote experimenter)

Answer 9

everyone in different room
20.5% to 450v (down 45%)

Question 10

milgrims situational variables
location

Answer 10

retested in run down office block
47.5% to 450 (down 18%)

Question 11

milgrims situational variables
uniform

Answer 11

experimenter (lab coat) leaves for a “phone call”, member of public used to replace (jeans + top)
20% to 450v (down 45%)

Question 12

AO3 weakness (ethics)

Answer 12

• deception, right to withdraw, protection from harm
• PP’s told it was a memory test
• hard to withdraw, experimenter told pp’s it was imperative to continue, had to ask 4 times
• psychological harm: stress, guilt, anxiety
• CA: debrief after, 84% said happy to participate to improve research

Question 13

AO3 weakness (real life)

Answer 13

• little real world application
• lab isn’t a natural environment
• often asked more subtle instructions (tidy room) so can’t apply to everyday situations
• lack ecological validity
• CA: controlled, no other influence than authoritative figure