social influence: milgram (obedience) Flashcards
Who designed the baseline procedure to assess obedience levels?
Stanley Milgram
Milgram’s research was conducted in 1963.
What was the purpose of Milgram’s baseline procedure?
To assess obedience in a situation involving an authority figure
The study involved participants giving shocks to a Learner.
How many American men participated in Milgram’s baseline study?
40 American men
They volunteered for a study supposedly on memory.
What roles were assigned to the participants in Milgram’s study?
Teacher (T) and Learner (L)
The draw for roles was fixed to ensure the participant was always the Teacher.
What was the maximum voltage that participants were instructed to administer?
450 volts
Shocks were administered in 15-volt increments.
What percentage of participants continued to 450 volts?
65%
This indicates a high level of obedience among participants.
What were some signs of tension observed in participants during the study?
Sweating, trembling, stuttering, biting lips, groaning
Some participants even experienced full-blown uncontrollable seizures.
What did psychology students predict about the participants’ behavior regarding obedience?
No more than 3% would continue to 450 volts
This prediction showed that students underestimated obedience.
What percentage of participants reported being glad to have participated in the study?
84%
Participants were debriefed and assured their behavior was normal.
Related to events in history
What conclusion did Milgram draw about obedience in his study?
German people are not ‘different’ in terms of obedience
He suggested that specific situational factors encourage obedience.
True or False: All participants stopped delivering shocks at 300 volts.
False
12.5% stopped at 300 volts, while 65% continued to 450 volts.
What was replicated in a French documentary related to Milgram’s findings?
A game show called Le Jeu de la Mort where participants believed they were contestants and delivered fake electric shocks
The documentary by Beauvois et al. (2012) demonstrated that 80% of participants delivered maximum shocks, supporting Milgram’s findings on obedience to authority.
What percentage of participants in the French documentary delivered the maximum shock?
80%
Participants believed they were shocking an unconscious man, reflecting Milgram’s original study outcomes.
What limitation did Milgram’s procedure face regarding internal validity?
Participants may not have believed the shocks were genuine and were ‘play-acting’
Critics like Martin Orne and Charles Holland (1968) argued that demand characteristics affected participant behavior.
What did Gina Perry’s research find regarding Milgram’s participants’ beliefs about the shocks?
Only about half believed the shocks were real, and 2 thirds were disobedient
This suggests that demand characteristics may have influenced their responses.
What fraction of participants in Milgram’s study were disobedient according to Gina Perry?
Two-thirds
This indicates that many participants did not genuinely believe in the experimental setup.
What did Sheridan and King’s study demonstrate about obedience?
54% of men and 100% of women gave what they thought was a fatal shock to a real puppy
This study suggests that obedience can occur even with real consequences.
What was the key finding of Alex Haslam et al. (2014) regarding Milgram’s participants?
(-) alt interpretation of findings
Participants obeyed until the fourth verbal prod, after which they disobeyed
This indicates that identification with the scientific aims influenced obedience.
According to social identity theory (SIT), why did Milgram’s participants obey?
They identified with the scientific aims of the research
Participants refused to obey when ordered to blindly follow authority.
What is a conclusion drawn from the alternative interpretation of Milgram’s findings?
Milgram’s conclusions about blind obedience may not be justified
SIT provides a potentially more valid interpretation of participant behavior.
