SOCIAL: Milgram on 'Obedience'

Question 1

What was the aim of Milgram’s study?

Answer 1

To investigate whether participants would show obedience to an authority figure who told them to administer electric shocks to another person

Question 2

Who was in the sample of Milgram’s study?

Answer 2

• 40 males from the Newhaven area
• Aged between 20 & 50
• From a wide range of occupations e.g teachers, postal clerks, salesmen, engineers
• Conducted @ Yale University

Question 3

How did Milgram get his sample?

Answer 3

• Advertisement in the local newspaper
• Direct mail sent to local residents
• Payment of $4.00 (+$0.50 cab fare)
• Self-selecting (so participants could be more confident)

Question 4

Describe the procedure of Milgram’s study

Answer 4

• Learner took part in a word-pair task (predetermined answers - 3w 1r)
• Connected to an electric shock generator (15v - 450v)
• Learner wasn’t actually connected
• Wrong answer or no answer = shock (increasing in voltage each time)
• 300v - banged & no answer
• 315v - no answer
• If the teacher didn’t want to continue they were told a standardised prompt
• They were all debriefed at the end

Question 5

Describe the research method used in Milgram’s study

Answer 5

The participants were watched through a one-way mirror. Notes were made on any unusual behaviour (controlled observation)

Question 6

Why is Milgram’s study been described as using a ‘controlled observation method’?

Answer 6

• Same person being ‘shocked’
• Same props given by the scientist
• Same environment that the experiment is taking place

Question 7

What were the quantitative findings of Milgram’s study?

Answer 7

• All participants continued to 300v
• 26 went to 450v - obedient - 65%
• Anyone below 450v = disobedient

Question 8

What were the qualitative findings of Milgram’s study?

Answer 8

• Signs of extreme tension (lip biting, fingernail digging)
• 14 showed nervous laughter
• 3 had ‘full blown seizures’

Question 9

Why were there high levels of obedience in Milgram’s study?

Answer 9

• Participants had volunteered and felt obliged to continue
• The results would be useful
• The researcher was dressed in a lab coat and seemed competent
• Took place at Yale - credible institution and good reputation
• Participants assured that the shocks weren’t dangerous

Question 10

What were the conclusions of Milgram’s study?

Answer 10

• The situation produced strong tendencies to obey
• Caused emotional strain and tension

Question 11

Strengths of Milgram’s study

Answer 11

Sample - accurate to the group that Milgram was curious about
Procedure - consistency because it was controlled
- given a debrief afterwards
Usefulness - at the time it showed that people followed authority

Question 12

Weaknesses of Milgram’s study

Answer 12

Sample - only had men and a small age range
Procedure - put the ‘teacher’ through lots of stress when they weren’t actually harming someone when they thought they were - unethical