A03

• What are the strengths of Milgram’s research?

  1. Temporal validity
  2. Supporting replication
• What are the limitations of Milgram’s research?

  1. Lacks internal validity
  2. Ethical issues
• Strength = temporal validity

  • Blass (1999) wanted to investigate whether levels of obedience are consistent with what Milgram found in the 1960s
  • Carried out a statistical meta-analysis of obedience studies between 1961 and 1985
  • Found that the later studies found no more or less obedience than those conducted earlier
  • Study by Burger (2009) found almost identical results as Milgram
• Strength = supporting replication

  • Le Jeu de la Mort (the Game of Death) is a French documentary from 2010 including a replication of Milgram’s study
  • Participants believed they were contestants in a pilot episode for a new game show
  • Paid to give fake electric shocks when ordered by the presenter to other participants (actors)
  • Findings were consistent with Milgram’s - 80% of participants delivered max shock of 460 volts
• Limitation = lacks internal validity

  • Participants in psychological studies have learned to distrust experimenters
  • Perry (2013) discovered many of Milgram’s participants were sceptical about whether the shocks were real
  • One of Milgram’s research assistants divides the participants into ‘doubters’ and ’believers‘ and found ’believers‘ were less likely to obey
• Limitation = ethical issues

  • Participants were deceived in many ways
  • Milgram led participants to believe that the allocation of role as ‘teacher’ and ‘learner’ was random when in fact it was rigged
  • Were also led to believe the electric shocks were real
  • Participants weren’t protected from harm - suffered from stress and anxiety as they thought they were issuing potentially fatal electricity shocks to a man with a heart condition