Social: Milgram's Study Into Obedience (1966)

Question 1

Aim of Milgram’s baseline study?

Answer 1

How obed P’s would be to following orders of authority figure that would go against their moral code and harm another person.

Question 2

Sample of Milgram’s baseline study?

Answer 2

Volunteer sample: 40 M’s between 20-50 from New Haven. Jobs ranged from unskilled to professional.

Question 3

Where was the baseline study conducted?

Answer 3

Yale Uni in an Interaction Laboratory (authority setting)

Question 4

How much were P’s offered for taking part?

Answer 4

$4.50 to take part in the study of memory (what they were told).

Question 5

Procedure of the study?

Answer 5

1. P’s met experimenter and another ‘volunteer’ (Mr Wallace).
2. Drew rigged lots (both said teacher).
3. Watched Mr Wallace placed in e-chair, with electrodes on arms with conductive gel applied.
4. P receives 45v shock sample.
5. P shown shock generator.
6. P instructed to increase shock by 15v each time a question was answered incorrectly.
7. Learner complained about his heart and demanded to be let out, refusing to continue.
8. 300v, learner pounded on the wall. Repeated this until 315v level then went silent.
9. Researcher used standardised verbal prods, and experiment ended at 450v (or until P refused to continue - P given right to withdraw. ).

Question 6

What was the experimenter wearing?

Answer 6

Smat grey lab coat (shows authority)

Question 7

Why was conductive gel applied to Mr Wallace? (quote)

Answer 7

“To prevent any burns or blisters.”

Question 8

What did the experimenter say about the shocks?

Answer 8

“Although they will be painful, they cause no permanent tissue damage.”

Question 9

What was written on the shock generator?

Answer 9

30 swithces:

• Increassed in 15v increments - labelled 15 (slight shock) to 450 (DANGER - severe shock).
• Last two switches said “XXX.”

Question 10

Could the teacher see the learner?

Answer 10

No, but could hear him clearly through the wall.

Question 11

What did the learner shout out after being shocked?

Answer 11

• 75, 95 and 105v = *grunts*.
• 120v = “Shocks are getting painful.”
• 150v = “Get me out of here, I refuse to go on!”

Question 12

Were P’s given the right to withdraw?

Answer 12

Yes, but verbal prods from the experimenter made It hard for the P to withdraw.

Question 13

What verbal prods were used by the experimenter?

Answer 13

• “Please continue.”
• “The experiment requires you to continue.”
• “It’s absolutely essential that you continue.”
• “You have no other choice but to continue.”

Question 14

What were the results of Milgram’s baseline study?

Answer 14

• All went to atleast 300v.
• 65% to 450v.
• Signs of moral strain, e.g. trembling, nervous laughter, groaning, uncontrollable seizures.

Question 15

Were the P’s debriefed after the study?

Answer 15

Yes: Reunited with Mr Wallace, reassured behaviour was normal and told aims.

Question 16

What were the conclusions of Milgram’s baseline study?

Answer 16

Shows the power of authority over behaviour. Even when P’s were clearly upset by what they had to do, they saw no alternative except to obey.

Question 17

Aim of variation 7?

Answer 17

See if proximity of experimenter affect ovedience - communicated over telephone.

Question 18

What was the sample of variation 7?

Answer 18

Same as baseline

Question 19

What was the procedure for variation 7?

Answer 19

Same as the baseline but contacted the teacher by phone rather than being in the room.

Question 20

What were the results of variation 7?

Answer 20

• Obedience fell to 22.5%.
• Some tried to give lower shocks than they were told to give as they thought they weren’t being observed (tried to lie).

Question 21

Conclusions from variation 7?

Answer 21

Easier to disobey when the experimenter wasn’t in the room. Proximity is important.

Question 22

Aim of variation 10?

Answer 22

See if obedience is affected by location; rundown office block not Yale.

Question 23

What was the sample of variation 10?

Answer 23

The same as the baseline.

Question 24

What was the procedure of variation 10?

Answer 24

The same as the baseline apart from taking place in a rundown office block in Bridgeport.

Question 25

Results of variation 10?

Answer 25

• 48% to 450v (M didn’t think this was sig dif from 65%)

More doubts about study.

• One made notes and asked himself many questions about the legitimacy of the study.

Question 26

What are the conclusions from variation 10?

Answer 26

• Idea of having a legitimate setting is backed by evidence, albeit hardly a significant one.
• M says people will deposit money in prestigious banks and seedy ones, so people will obey experiments regardless of where they are.

Question 27

Aim of experiment 13?

Answer 27

See whether an order given by someone without authority is followed/carried out.

Question 28

What was the sample of variation 13?

Answer 28

20 males who volunteered.

Question 29

Procedure of variation 13?

Answer 29

1. Experimenter gave instructions about administering the shock, but gets ‘called away’ and leaves the room.
2. The P thinks the accomplice, initially given the task of recording times, is a P like them.
3. The accomplice (another confederate) suggests that the teacher should increase the shocks in 15v increments for each question the learner gets wrong.

Question 30

Results of variation 13?

Answer 30

• 20% obedience.
• Ordinary man was not an authority figure so hard to obey his commands/easy to break away.

Question 31

Conclusions from variation 13?

Answer 31

• Obed fell with ordinary man, who was perceived to have no authority.
• P’s didn’t like seeing ‘oridnary man’ give shocks, but were helpless.