Milgram study

• The Milgram Experiment aims:

  1. To test if any individual could be made to go against their moral code and obey 
  2. To test if there was something different about Germans that made them obey
• Milgram’s experiments did not support the idea that Germans are different. His study showed that anyone could be capable of destructive obedience
• Milgram's study supports situational explanations of obedience
• Milgram got participants to administer electric shocks of increasing voltage (15 - 450V) under the orders of an experimenter
• Milgram found that 65% of participants obeyed up to the highest voltage of 450 volts, and 100% obeyed up to 300​ volts
• Participants were 40 American male volunteers
• At 300V the "learner" made noise and refused to go on, after 315V the "learner" made no more noise, indicating unconsciousness or death
• If the participant/teacher resisted the "professor" encouraged them to continue using a set of four scripted prompts; if the learner refused to continue four times, the study ended.
• Results:

  • Participants very distressed but obeyed
  • 100% to 300 volts
  • 12.5% stopped at 300 volts
  • 65% to full 450 volts