Obedience & Milgram Flashcards
What was the aim of Milgram’s original study?
To investigate why so many Germans obeyed Nazi orders during the Holocaust and whether obedience was a result of personality or situational factors.
How were participants recruited for Milgram’s study?
Through newspaper adverts and flyers; they were told it was a study on memory.
What roles were assigned in Milgram’s study, and how?
Roles of “teacher” and “learner” were assigned through a rigged draw — the participant was always the teacher, and the learner was a confederate.
What was the teacher instructed to do in the experiment?
Administer increasingly severe electric shocks to the learner for each incorrect answer in a word-pair memory task.
Were the electric shocks real?
No, the shocks were fake, but the participants believed they were real.
What happened at 300 volts in the experiment?
The learner pounded on the wall and gave no further responses, indicating distress or unconsciousness.
What were Milgram’s four verbal prods?
- “Please continue.”
- “The experiment requires that you continue.”
- “It is absolutely essential that you continue.”
- “You have no other choice, you must go on.”
What percentage of participants went up to the maximum 450 volts?
65% of participants.
What signs of stress did participants show during the study?
Sweating, trembling, stuttering, biting lips, groaning, and three had uncontrollable seizures.
What did Milgram’s follow-up questionnaire reveal?
84% of participants said they were glad to have taken part.
What did Orne and Holland argue about Milgram’s study?
That it lacked internal validity because participants guessed the shocks weren’t real.
How did Sheridan and King’s study support Milgram’s findings?
Participants gave real shocks to a puppy, and many still obeyed, suggesting Milgram’s results reflected genuine obedience.
How did Hofling et al.’s hospital study support Milgram?
Found high obedience among nurses to unjustified demands, supporting Milgram’s findings in a real-world context.
What was Le Jeu de la Mort?
A French TV replication of Milgram’s study where 80% of participants delivered a maximum shock of 460 volts.
How does Social Identity Theory challenge Milgram’s conclusions?
It suggests participants obeyed because they identified with the experimenter/science, not due to blind obedience to authority.
What ethical issues were raised in Milgram’s study?
Deception, lack of informed consent, psychological harm, and pressured withdrawal.
How did Milgram address ethical concerns?
He conducted thorough debriefings and follow-up interviews to reassure participants and explain the study.
Why did Baumrind criticise Milgram?
For using deception, which she saw as a betrayal of trust that could damage the reputation of psychology.
