The Milgram Experiment 1963

Question 1

What was the aim of the original Milgram experiment?

Answer 1

1) To investigate the ‘German’s are different’ hypothesis and to see if people who follow orders without questions that have obvious negative affects and go against their morals

Question 2

What was the method of the original Milgram experiment? (5)

Answer 2

1) 40 males ages 20-50, self selecting via a newspaper and were told they’d be paid, took place at Yale uni
2) First the RPS met Mr Wallace who was dressed in a grey lab coast and was then introduced to the confederate (learner)
3) The RPS was told the experiment was investigating learning and memory. the confederate said they has a heart defect to which Mr Wallace said the shocks were harmless and the RPS were given a shock of 45 volts
4) Mr Wallace and the RPS administrator shocks each time a confederate got an answer wrong going up in 15 volts each time
5) At 150 volts the confederate complains, at 300 volts the confederate refuses to answer and at 330 volts the confederate screams and from 345-450 volts stays silent but Mr Wallace said “the experiment requires you to continue”

Question 3

What was original Milgram experiment? ( 2)

Answer 3

62.5% went up to 450 volts and 100 % went up to 300 volts
When given shock RPS had physical response to conclude the German’s are different hypothesis is false as anyone in that position would do the same

Question 4

Internal methodological issues? (2)

Answer 4

To what extent the findings are attributing to the IV
Owen and Holland = criticise the nature of the experiment may have meant that RPS guessed what the experiment was about (demand characteristics) but would RPS have had a big response if they didn’t believe it was real?

Question 5

External methodological issues? (5)

Answer 5

Androsentric however Sheridan and King found with puppies all women went up to 100% but only 45% of males.
Might have been true in 1960’s but not now as attitudes change, Hofling et Al more recent 21 out of 22 obeyed.
Cultural bais = 100% American, 92% Spanish and 27% Australian.
To what extent can it be said it is true to real life
Ecological Validity = foreign environment to most people when replicated in run down office there was less obedience

Question 6

Contemporary Variations; Burger (4)

Answer 6

Aim = To investigate levels of obedience using adapted levels of Milgram
Method = Same words and lab coat
Max was 150 volts
Check sample for no prior knowledge of Milgram
Told RPS threee times they could leave and sample was made of 35 males and 35 females