Social 1: Milgram

Question 0

What was the IV and DV?

Answer 0

IV= naturally occurring behaviour (quasi)

DV= the voltage the PP was prepared to go to (400v max, 15v intervals)

Question 1

What was the aim?

Answer 1

To investigate whether white males would confound to shocking a stooge when under an authoritative figure.

To investigate the Eichmann case= “it wasn’t me, I was obeying orders”

Question 2

What was the sample?

How was it obtained?

Answer 2

• White males from New Haven
• 20 to 50 years
• students not allowed
• range of occupations
• article for a memory test and $4.50 pay in newspaper

Question 3

Who took part?

Answer 3

• Teacher= PP
• stooge (learner)= 47 year old accountant, mild mannered and likeable
• experimenter= 31 year old biology teacher, stern and emotionless

Question 4

What were the prods used?

Answer 4

1= please continue
2= the experiment requires 
3= absolutely essential
4= you have no choice

Question 5

What was the procedure?

Answer 5

1. Teacher meets stooge and picks out pre-determined role
2. Real electric shock given to teacher (45v)
3. Stooge strapped to chair in another room
4. Teacher give stooge a series of words then ask “second word”
5. If right, moved to next question
6. If wrong, given an electric shock
7. Voltage increased at each q (15v)
   Max 450v

Question 6

What happened at 300v?

Answer 6

Stooge bang on the wall in pain and then 5-10 seconds of silence

Question 7

How was the behaviour recorded?

Answer 7

Filmed

Observers in another room making notes

Question 8

Why were no students allowed?

Answer 8

• May not cope with stress

- Under authority at school

Question 9

What were the good ethical things?

Answer 9

• Teacher met stooge (learner) after and proved was still alive (most times)
• Given psychometric testing after
• Told behaviour was normal

Question 10

What were the bad ethical things?

Answer 10

• Under extreme stress: some PPs experienced convulsing fits, tics, shaking
• Not all PP told was fake
• Deception= no informed consent

Question 11

What were the results?

Answer 11

-100% went to 300v
-65% went to 450v
-most felt extremely guilty (shaking,
tics, fits)

Question 12

How could the experiment be improved?

Answer 12

• proxemics: allow the teacher to see the learner
• use an animal instead of human: not so unethical
• use females and older/younger males to test their behaviour

Question 13

What is the background?

Answer 13

• Adolf Eichmann “I was just following orders”

- prove theory that Germans had were naturally obedient wrong