Milgram

• What was the aim of the study described in the material?

  To observe whether people would obey a figure of authority when told to harm another person
• What was the procedure of the experiment?

  • Participant assigned as 'teacher'
  • Confederate assigned as 'learner'
  • Teacher asked questions and administered electric shocks for wrong answers
  • Shocks increased by 15 volts, ranging from 300V to 450V
  • Participants believed shocks were real; no actual shocks were given
  • Experimenter provided orders when participants hesitated
• What voltage was marked as 'lethal' in the experiment?

  330V
• How did participants react to the electric shocks?

  All participants went up to 300V, and 65% went up to 450V
• What factors affected obedience in the study?

  • Proximity: Higher obedience when experimenter was in the same room
  • Location: Higher obedience at prestigious locations like Stanford
  • Uniform: Higher obedience when experimenter wore a lab coat
• What does the finding that no participants stopped below 300V indicate?

  It indicates that the vast majority were willing to administer lethal shocks
• What was the obedience percentage when the experimenter was in the same room as the participant?

  62.5%
• How did obedience change when the experimenter and participant were in separate rooms?

  Obedience reduced to 40%
• What was the obedience percentage in the touch proximity condition?

  30%
• Why did participants obey more in a prestigious location like Stanford?

  Because the prestige demands obedience and increases trust in researchers
• How did the experimenter's uniform affect obedience?

  Obedience was higher when the experimenter wore a lab coat
• What did Milgram admit about the demand characteristics in the uniform condition?

  Many participants could see through the deception
• What were the roles of the participant and confederate in the experiment?

  • Participant: 'Teacher' who administered shocks
  • Confederate: 'Learner' who answered questions and pretended to receive shocks
• What were the four prods used by the experimenter when participants refused to administer shocks?

  1. Obey the science
  2. Continue with the experiment
  3. You must go on
  4. Obey the confederate
• how were the participants selected in Milgrams study?


  40 male participants were selected at random
• What was one of the strengths of Milgram's study regarding participant debriefing?

  Participants were thoroughly debriefed on the real aims of the study.
• What percentage of participants felt glad to be part of Milgram's study in a follow-up study?

  84% of participants were glad they were part of the study.
• What does the follow-up study suggest about the psychological harm on participants of Milgram's study?

  It suggests that there was little or no permanent psychological harm.
• How did Milgram's research contribute to understanding obedience to authority figures?

  It opened our eyes to the problem of obedience and its consequences.
• What historical example does Milgram's study relate to in terms of obedience to authority?

  It relates to the obedience of Nazis during Hitler's regime.
• What insight does Milgram's research provide regarding people's willingness to harm others?

  It highlights how people can easily become victims of social pressures.
• What did Gina Perry find when reviewing the interview tapes from Milgram's study?

  A significant number of participants questioned the legitimacy of the electric shocks.
• What percentage of participants in Milgram's study believed the shocks were real?

  70% of participants believed that the shocks were real.
• What does the study by Sheridan and King suggest about participants' behavior in Milgram's study?

  It suggests that participants were likely to administer real shocks to puppies.
• Why is Milgram's study considered highly replicable?

  It has been repeated worldwide with consistent obedience levels found.
• What was the finding of the replication study "Le Jeu de la Mort" regarding obedience?

  85% of participants were willing to give lethal electric shocks.
• What does the replication of Milgram's study increase regarding the findings?

  It increases the reliability of the findings.
• What did Hofling et al. (1966) observe in their study related to obedience?

  95% of nurses obeyed a doctor's orders over the phone.
• What does Hofling et al.'s study suggest about everyday individuals and authority figures?

  It suggests that everyday individuals are susceptible to obeying destructive authority figures.
• What is one ethical issue associated with Milgram's study?

  There was deception, preventing informed consent.
• Why was deception justified in Milgram's study?

  It was justified to avoid demand characteristics.
• What is participant reactivity in the context of Milgram's study?

  It refers to changes in behavior due to awareness of being observed.
• What signs of distress did participants show in Milgram's study?

  Participants showed trembling, sweating, and nervous laughter.
• What does the replication of findings in the Jeu de la Mort study suggest?

  It suggests that the results were not due to participant variables.
• What socially sensitive issue arises from Milgram's findings?

  It suggests that individuals may not be morally responsible for their actions due to situational factors.
• How does Milgram's study challenge the judicial system's expectations?

  It raises questions about moral responsibility in the context of situational influences.
• How did the location of the experiment affect participants' trust?

  Participants may have trusted that nothing serious would happen due to the prestige of Stanford University.
• What happened to obedience levels when the experiment was replicated in a run-down office?

  Obedience decreased to 20.5%.
• What is one limitation regarding the internal validity of Milgram's study?

  The experiment may have been about trust rather than obedience.
• What does the lack of ecological validity in Milgram's study imply?

  It implies that the tasks given do not reflect real-life situations.