Obedience investigated by Milgram

Question 1

Definition

Answer 1

Obedience can be defined as a change in behaviour in response to an order from a perceived authority figure or someone of perceived higher status.

Question 2

AIM

Answer 2

to investigate whether a normal everyday person would give somebody else potentially lethal electric shocks if told to by an authority figure.

Question 3

METHOD

Answer 3

40 male participants in a controlled observational study were given the role of the teacher whilst the learner was a middle aged man with a heart condition. Every time the learner got the question wrong, the teacher would have to give them an electric shock (increased by 15V). Hesitancy would be result to the experimenter encouraging the participant that they must continue.

Question 4

FINDINGS

Answer 4

100% of the teachers went up to at least 300V whilst 65% of the teachers went up to the maximum of 450V (enough to kill).

Question 5

CONCLUSION

Answer 5

People are very responsive to orders and in certain circumstances they could even end up killing another human being is told to by an authority figure.

Question 6

Evaluation strength: high internal validity

Answer 6

70% of his participants thought the shocks were real after being interviewed after the study.

Question 7

Evaluation strength: high external validity

Answer 7

Hofling (1966) found 21 out of 22 nurses obeyed an order from a doctor who rang their ward and told them to give double the dosage of an unknown drug to a patient.

Question 8

Evaluation strength: Replication (Le Jeu de la Mort)

Answer 8

Found 80% of participants would go up to the maximum shock level of 460V to a stranger just because the presenter told them to do so.

Question 9

Evaluation weakness: unethical

Answer 9

Participants were deceived into thinking the shocks were real and that the study was about the effect of punishment on learning.