Obedience: Milgram's Research

Question 1

Define Obedience:

Answer 1

• Type of social influence
• Causes a person to act in response to an order given by another person
• The person who gives the order has power or authority

Question 2

Why did Milgram carry out an experiment?

Answer 2

To test whether Germans have a basic character flaw which is a readiness to obey authority without question, no matter what outrageous acts the authority commands

Question 3

How did Milgram obtain his participants?

Answer 3

• In a news advert
• People who participated go $4.00
• Range of qualification
• American
• Volunteers

Question 4

What is Milgram testing?

Answer 4

Dispostional theory

Question 5

When did Milgram conduct his experiment?

Answer 5

1963

Question 6

How many participants where is Milgrams experiment?

Answer 6

40 Males

Question 7

What happened during the experiment?

Answer 7

• Randomly assigned the role of teacher or learner
• Real participant was always assigned the role of teacher
• Learner in adjacent room and was asked various questions
• If answer wrong, electric shock administered (increases each time)
• At a higher voltage, learner began to scream
• Stopped all communication after v315
• Teacher was given prods i.e The experiments require you continue
• Participant debriefed at the end

Question 8

What was Milgrams findings?

Answer 8

• 65% delivered fatal shock of 450v

- Participants groaned, protested, fidgeted or agitated giggles

Question 9

Evaluation of Debrief:

Answer 9

• GOOD
• 84% of participants glad to have taken part
• Debrief was thorough and follow-up question
• Followed people up years later to make sure okay

Question 10

Evaluation of Right to Withdraw:

Answer 10

• Some participants found difficulty due to prods
• Some did disobey and withdraw so all could have done the same
• Indicated before that they had the right to

Question 11

Evaluation of Protection from Harm:

Answer 11

• BAD in short term
• Experienced degree of anxiety
• GOOD in long term
• Lack of harm physically or psychologically
• Follow up questionnaire

Question 12

Why does Milgram lack ecological validity?

Answer 12

-Experiment in laboratory conditions
-Lacks real-life situation of obedience
Unable to generalise to real-life

Question 13

Why does Milgram lack population validity?

Answer 13

• Bias sample of male volunteers

- Can not generalise to other populations