AO1 - Description

• Aims and Hypothesis

  • Milgram aimed to test if situation factors led to levels of obedience
  • To test the ''Germans are Different'' hypothesis - USA original pilot but results made German study unnecessary
• Sampling - Participants

  • Used self-selected sample of volunteers who responded to newspaper advert
  • 40 male ppts altogether
  • 20 to 50 years old
  • Jobs ranged from unskilled to professional
  • Educational background consisted of not completed primary to having a doctorate
• Methodology

  • Controlled non-participant observation in a laboratory at Yale University
  • Milgram did not change an IV, and measured the level of obedience through observing how many volts the ppts would give to a stranger (also observed verbal + non verbal reactions)
  • At the end, each interviewed to ask about experience and they met the stranger
• Location - Lab setting

  • Study carried at Yale University in a Psychology Laboratory
  • Milgram had a controlled situation where there was tight control over situational variables e.g. other people
• Procedures - Part 1

  1. Milgram advertised ppts in New Haven newspaper asking for people with an 'experiment on learning and memory'
  2. Ppts arrived at Yale and met Mr Wallace who they thought was another volunteer (actually a confederate) and a experimenter (not Milgram)
  3. Drew lots to identify who would be leaner and teacher in it - this was rigged and Mr Wallace was always the learner
  4. Taken into the room for Mr Wallace, told about the electric shocks, ppts given sample mild shock
• Findings - Quantitative

  • 100% went to 300 Volts
  • 65% went to 450 Volts
  • 84% said they were glad they had taken part

  Findings - Qualitative

  • Many showed distress such as sweating + stuttering
  • 3 had 'full blown seizures' with 1 so severe the session was stop
• Conclusion

  • Ordinary people are shockingly obedient to destructive orders
  • Situations cause people to be highly obedient - to the point where they risk killing an innocent stranger
• Procedures - Part 2

  • Mr. Wallace pretended to suffer shocks, banging on the wall at 300 volts and then ceasing to respond.
  • The experimenter prompted participants to continue if they hesitated.
  • Afterward, participants were debriefed and allowed to meet Mr. Wallace unharmed, and a post-experiment questionnaire was distributed to gather their experiences.