L8

• What should the power-point slides for lecture 8 be read in conjunction with?

  The video recording titled ‘You Do As You Are Told’
• Who conducted the Milgram’s Obedience Experiment?

  Stanley Milgram
• What motivated Milgram to conduct his obedience experiments?


  The horrors of World War II and the Holocaust
• What was the shocking revelation about Adolf Eichmann during his trial?

  He appeared as a mild, inoffensive man rather than a monster
• What concept did Hannah Arendt introduce to explain the actions of perpetrators like Eichmann?

  The banality of evil
• According to Arendt, what motivated Eichmann and similar individuals?

  The desire to do a job well and please their superiors
• What was the main question Milgram aimed to test in his experiments?

  Would ordinary people hurt others if told to do so by an authority figure?
• How many participants were typically involved in a Milgram experiment?

  40 participants
• How were participants recruited for the Milgram experiment?

  Through a job advertisement in a local paper
• What roles did participants take on in the Milgram experiment?

  One participant was the 'teacher' and the other was the 'learner'
• How was the draw for the roles of 'teacher' and 'learner' manipulated?


  The draw was rigged so the naïve participant was always the 'teacher'
• What was the purpose of the Milgram experiment as explained to participants?

  To examine the effects of punishment on memory
• What did the learner claim to have before the experiment started?

  A heart condition
• What did the experimenter assure the teacher about the shocks?

  That although the shocks can be extremely painful, they cause no permanent damage
• How many switches were on the shock generator used in the Milgram experiment?

  30 switches
• What was the voltage range of the shock generator?

  From 15 volts to 450 volts
• What was the initial shock level given to the teacher as a sample?

  45 volts
• What happened to the learner's responses as the voltage increased?

  The learner's responses included grunts, demands to be released, and screams of pain
• What percentage of participants went to the maximum shock level of 450 volts?

  65%
• What factor contributed to participants' willingness to administer shocks?

  Responsibility was transferred to the experimenter, a legitimate authority figure
• How did the progression of shock levels affect participants' behavior?

  Participants began with small punishments and progressed to greater ones
• What social factor influenced obedience in the Milgram experiment?

  Social identity, as people identified with the experiment and experimenter
• What were the four factors that influenced obedience according to the study?

  Remoteness of the victim, closeness and legitimacy of the authority figure, diffusion of responsibility, and characteristics of the teacher
• How did the remoteness of the victim affect obedience levels?

  Obedience was greatest when the learner was out of sight
• What happened to obedience levels when the teacher and learner were in the same room?

  Obedience dropped to 40%
• What was the obedience level when the teacher had to make physical contact with the learner?

  Obedience dropped to 30%
• How did the closeness and legitimacy of the authority figure affect obedience?

  Obedience was highest when the authority figure was close by and perceived as legitimate
• What happened to obedience levels when the experimenter left the room?

  Obedience dropped to 20%
• What was the obedience level when an ordinary participant gave instructions instead of the experimenter?

  Obedience dropped to 20%
• What was the obedience level when the experimenter called a halt to the study but the learner wanted to continue?

  Obedience dropped to 0%
• What happened to obedience levels when two experimenters argued?

  Obedience dropped to 0%
• How did diffusion of responsibility affect conformity in the Milgram experiment?

  Conformity increased to 93% when another person gave the shock
• What happened to conformity when participants had to give shocks to close relatives?

  Conformity dropped to 0%
• What was the effect on obedience when teachers were tested in groups and others decided to stop?

  Obedience dropped to 10%
• How did the gender of the teacher affect obedience levels?


  Women obeyed just as much as men
• What personality trait was associated with higher obedience levels?

  Authoritarianism
• How did identification with the victim affect obedience?


  If people identified with the victim, they were less likely to obey
• What ethical concerns were raised by Milgram's experiments?

  • Is it ethical to run such experiments?
  • Are participants treated with dignity?
  • Over 50% experienced discomfort.
  • Milgram claimed no lasting damage occurred.
  • Most found the experiment enriching and instructive.
  • Less than 1.3% regretted participation.
• What new studies have been conducted related to the Milgram experiment?

  • Virtual reality simulations (Slater et al., 2006)
  • Immersive digital realism with trained actors (Haslam et al., 2015)
  • Stopping at 150 volts showed 80% proceeded to 450 volts (Burger, 2009)
  • Findings consistent with original studies.
• What do the findings of Milgram's experiments suggest about obedience and disobedience?

  • There is both obedience and disobedience.
  • People do not blindly follow orders.
  • True believers like Eichmann believed in Nazi ideology.
  • People harm others by identifying with malicious authorities.