Unit 2 - Social Classic Core Studies Flashcards
Summarise the background of Milgram’s study
The Holocaust, the obedience of the Nazi soldiers and if the Germans were unique or applied to everyone
What does Obedience mean?
The compliance with commands made by authority
What does Autonomous State mean?
When you direct your own actions and take responsibility for them
What does Agentic State mean?
When you allow others to direct their actions and pass off responsibility to them
What was the aim of Milgram’s study?
To investigate what level of obedience participants would show when asked to deliver electric shocks to someone by an authority figure
Describe Milgram’s sample
40 males from New Haven, aged 20-50, wide range of occupations
What was Milgram’s sampling method
Self - selecting. Advertisement in local newspaper, driect mail to locals and payment of $4.50 (50 cents for travel)
Summarise Milgram’s procedure
- Told investigating punishment and learning
- Tested individually
- Participants saw the “volunteer” strapped to a chair and were told the shocks were not harmful
- The participant was given a sample shock of 45V
- Teacher would read a word-pairing task over the intercom and “learner” would reply with 1 of 4 buttons
- If teacher expressed discomfort the ‘authority figure’ replied with “Please continue”, “You have no choice, you must go on” etc.
- If learner got wrong the teacher would administer electric shock increasing by 15V each time
- Experimented ended at 450V or if withdrew.
What were Milgram’s quantitative results?
100% - 300V shock
65% - 450V shock (max)
What were Milgram’s qualitative results?
- participants showed signs of extreme tensions:
- sweating
- trembling
- biting lips
- digging nails into skin - 14 showed nervous laughter and smiling
- 3 had full blown seizures
- when refused to continue showed signs of extreme agitation and anger
What were Milgram’s conclusions?
- All humans have the capability to obey orders when given by an authoritative figure
- Situation generates extraordinary tension and emotional strain
How did Milgram try to explain his findings?
- Yale Uni - prestigious environment - good rep
- Lab coat - strong authoritative figure
- Wanted money/reward?
- Guilt of ruining the experiment
- Told they had ‘no choice’
What ethics did Milgram break?
- Withdrawl
- Protection from harm
- Deception
What ethics did Milgram uphold?
- Informed Consent
- Confidentiality
- Debriefing
- Competence
Was Milgram’s study ethnocentric?
Yes - only carried out in one area of the USA which may not reflect other cultures
No - has been carried out by other researchers in other cultures producing similar results
Did Milgram’s study have internal reliability?
Yes - has been replicated by other researchers
Did Milgram’s study have external reliability?
Yes - 40 males was large enough
Did Milgram’s study have internal validity?
It could have been testing the levels of empathy for the leaner
Did Milgram’s study have population validity?
Cannot be generalised to females and was a self-selecting sample
Did Milgram’s study have ecological validity?
No - not an everyday life task
Summarise the background of Kitty Genovese
Early hours of the morning in March 1964, 38 respectable citizens watched a killer stalk a woman in three separate attacks. Twice the sound of their voices and glow of bedroom lights scared him off but he returned to stab her. No one called the police until she was dead. Kitty was have heard to say “Oh my God! He stabbed me! Please help me! Please help me!”
Summarise the background of Piliavin’s study
- Kitty Genovese
- Darley and Latane - investigated into the psychology behind Kitty Genovese - showed diffusion of responsibility with their ‘seizure study’
What does bystander apathy mean?
Where people fail to help someone in need when other people are present