social influence - milgram and obedience to authority

Question 1

Define obedience to authority

Answer 1

• where somebody acts in response to a direct order
• from figure with perceived authority

Question 2

Milgram’s study AO1
Aim

Answer 2

• to investigate if individuals would obey authority figure
• even if it led to negative consequences

Question 3

Milgram’s study AO1
Method

Answer 3

Laboratory experiment at Yale University

Question 4

Milgram’s study AO1
Sample

Answer 4

40 American males aged 20-50

Question 5

Milgram’s study AO1
Procedure

Answer 5

• experimenter placed advert in newspaper seeking volunteers for ‘memory experiment’
• ppts were paid $4.50
• ppt introduced to another ppt (confederate)
• ppt = teacher
• confederate = student
• teachers role = take part in learning task
• if question answered wrong then electric shocks delivered to learner (in another room)
• volts 15V - 450V increments of 15V
• if ppt refused, experimenter prompted
• e.g. “please continue”
• “it is absolutely essential you continue”

Question 6

Milgram’s study AO1
Findings

Answer 6

• all ppts went to 300V
• 12.5% stopped at 300V
• 65% went to 450V
• showing high obedience levels

Question 7

Milgram’s study AO1
Conclusion

Answer 7

• ordinary people obedient to authority figures
• even when asked to behave in inhumane way
• not necessarily evil people who commit evil crimes
• ordinary people just obeying orders

Question 8

Milgram’s study AO3
weakness - demand characteristics

Answer 8

P - prone to demand characteristics
- lab experiment
- ppts knew they were taking part in experiment

E - may have changed their natural behaviour
- they believed this is what was required of them by researcher
- instead of actually obeying authority figure

E - ppts were paid
- further influencing this

L - reduces internal validity
- milgram not measuring what he intended to measure

Question 9

Milgram’s study AO3
research to support - Hofling

Answer 9

P - research to support
- comes from Hofling

E - study with nurses on hospital ward
- asked unknown doctor to tell them to give dangerous dose of drug to patients
- via telephone

E - 21/22 nurses agreed
- knowing not to take telephone orders
- stopped before they actually gave it

L - support obedience to authority (doctor)
- good external validity
- can be generalised to other settings

Question 10

Milgram’s study AO3
weakness - gender bias

DISCUSSION POINT

Answer 10

P - gender bias
- male only sample

E - difficult to generalise to females
- females may be more submissive due to gender roles

E - Sheridan and kings study further supports this
- ppts ordered to give real electric shocks to puppy
- 100% females obeyed
- 54% males obeyed

L - weakens external validity

DISCUSSION
- could argue milgram was trying to explain behaviour in German nazi soldiers
- mostly male
- so male only sample used

Question 11

Milgram’s study AO3
weakness - ethical issues

DISCUSSION

Answer 11

P - major ethical issues

E - lack of informed consent
- deception
- lack of right to withdraw

E - ppts believed the were taking part on ‘memory’ study
- ppts believed shocks were real
- when ppt refused they were prompted by experimenter to continue

L - limits milligrams research into obedience

DISCUSSION
- ppts said they were happy to take part as they learned alot about themselves
- lack of informed consent and deception necessary to avoid demand characteristics
- which may have helped/hindered research

Question 12

4 AO3 points

Answer 12

• demand characteristics
• research to support by hofling
• gender bias
• ethical issues