Obedience - Evaluation

Question 1

What studies strengthened obedience research?

Answer 1

Sheridan and King
Hofling et al
Documentary about reality TV in France

Question 2

What was Hofling et al’s study?

Answer 2

Studied nurses on a ward
- Found levels of obedience to unjustified demands were very high
- 21 out of 22 nurses obeyed
- Milgram’s findings can be generalized to other settings

Question 3

What study was conducted on the documentary about reality TV in France?

Answer 3

• Participants thought they were contestants in a new game show
• Paid to give (fake) electric shocks to other participants when ordered to do so
• 80% of participants delivered the maximum shock of 460 volts to an ‘unconscious’ man
• Participant displayed the same tension as those in Milgram’s study
  = demonstrates that the findings were not a one off

Question 4

What’s another strength of Milgram’s study?

Answer 4

• May lack external validity due to being conducted in a lab
• Central feature was about the relationship between ‘experimenter’ and participant
• Lab reflected wider authority relationships in real life

Question 5

Who critiques milgrams study?

Answer 5

Orne and Hollard
Perry
Baumind

Question 6

What did Perry do?

Answer 6

Listened to the recordings from the study and heard participants expressing doubts about the shocks

Question 7

What did Baumind say?

Answer 7

Criticized Milgram’s deception
- led participants to believe their role was selected at random and to believe they was electrocuting people
- Could be viewed as a betrayal of trust
- Could damage the reputation of psycholoists
- Could damage reputation of the research
- Could prevent participants from volunteering to another experiment again

Question 8

What did Orne and Holland say?

Answer 8

Argued that participants only behave the way hey did as they didn’t believe shocks were real
> Means Milgram wasn’t testing what he thought he was
> Means the study lacks internal validity

Question 9

What was Sheridan and King’s study?

Answer 9

Conducted a similar study with puppies
- Puppies issued real electric shocks
- 54% of male participants delivered what they believe was a fatal shock
- 100% of female participants delivered what they believe was a fatal shock
- Effects of Milgram’s study was genuine

Question 10

How did Milgram combat ethical issues?

Answer 10

• Right to withdraw
  > Milgram informed them of this before the start of the study
• Fully informed consent
  > volunteering through newspapers, adverts and flyers as consent for participation
• The use of deception
  > fully debriefed at the end of the study and justified participants behavior
• Importance of protecting participants from the risk of psych and physical harm
  > fake shocks used throughout he experiment