Milgrams Obedience Study

• What concept did Milgram's (1963) work on obedience draw from?

  Destructive obedience
• What is destructive obedience?

  Obeying authority to harm an innocent person
• What was the sample used in Milgram's study?

  • American males
  • Naive to the study's true aim
• What role did participants assume in Milgram's study?

  They were assigned the role of 'Teacher'
• What did the 'Teacher' administer to the 'Learner' for incorrect answers?

  Electric shocks
• Were the electric shocks real in Milgram's study?

  No, they were fake
• What did the experimenter provide to encourage participants to continue?

  'Prods' to continue the procedure
• What percentage of participants went to the maximum shock level of 450 volts?


  65%
• What moral strain did Milgram's study impose on participants?

  Shifting responsibility for shocks to the experimenter
• What was Milgram's initial hypothesis about obedience?

  Germans must be different due to the Holocaust
• What sampling method was used to recruit participants?

  Volunteer sampling
• What role did 'Mr. Wallace' play in the study?

  He was the 'Learner' confederate
• What did the 'Teacher' do if the 'Learner' answered incorrectly?

  Administered an electric shock
• What was the range of the shock generator?

  15 volts to 450 volts
• What did the experimenter say to encourage the Teacher to continue?

  'The experiment requires that you continue'
• What were some behavioral responses noted in participants?

  Shaking, crying, sweating
• What conclusion did Milgram reach regarding obedience?

  Not due to nationality or personal factors
• What are the strengths of Milgram's study?

  • Reflected in other research (e.g., Hofling et al.)
  • Good external validity
  • Demonstrated gradual erosion of morals
• What are the limitations of Milgram's study?

  • Lacks internal validity
  • Ethical concerns (deception, harm)
  • Right to withdraw not clearly given
• What was the experimenter's uniform in Milgram's original study?

  A grey lab coat