Milgram's Study

• What is obedience in Milgram's study?

  Obedience is a type of social influence where someone acts in response to a direct order from an authority figure.
• What is destructive obedience?

  Destructive obedience occurs when someone follows an order that results in a negative outcome or harm.
• Why do people obey authority according to Milgram?

  Rules: People follow societal norms and rules.

  Fear of consequences: They are scared of the repercussions of disobeying.

  Upbringing: From a young age, individuals are socialised to obey authority figures (e.g., parents, teachers).
• What was the aim of Milgram's (1963) study?

  To establish a baseline measure of how obedient middle-aged men (20-45) would be when ordered to administer increasingly intense electric shocks to an innocent victim.
• How were participants recruited for Milgram's study?

  Through an advertisement seeking volunteers for a memory study, offering $4.00 compensation.
• What was the role of the "learner" in Milgram's study?

  The learner was strapped into a chair with electrodes and received electric shocks for giving incorrect answers.
• What was the role of the "teacher" in Milgram's study?

  The teacher (the participant) administered electric shocks to the learner for wrong answers, with shock intensity increasing progressively.
• Summary of Milgram’s Study on Obedience:

  Findings:

  65% of participants administered the maximum shock of 450 volts (fatal level).

  No one stopped before 300 volts.

  Prods Used:

  "Please continue."

  "It is required that you continue."

  Procedure:

  Participants were paid $4 just to attend.

  Shock intensity increased after every wrong answer.

  The study demonstrates the power of authority and the extent to which individuals may obey orders, even when it conflicts with their moral judgement.
• Generalisability 


  Weakness:

  The sample consisted of 40 male participants aged 20-45, which limits generalisability to women and other age groups.

  However, Milgram’s findings have been replicated across cultures, suggesting some cross-cultural validity.

  Weakness:

  The sample was not representative of the wider population, so results may not apply to everyone.
• Reliability 


  Strength:

  The study had a standardised procedure (e.g., prods, shock levels, and scripted responses from the learner), making it highly replicable.

  Replications (e.g., Burger, 2009) have found similar results, supporting the reliability of Milgram’s findings.
• Internal Validity: 


  Weakness:

  Demand characteristics may have influenced participants’ behaviour, as they might have guessed the true aim of the study.

  The artificial nature of the task (e.g., fake shocks) may have reduced the study’s internal validity.
• Task Validity: 


  Weakness:

  The task of administering shocks is not realistic and does not reflect real-life obedience scenarios.
• Ecological Validity: 


  Weakness:

  The study took place in a lab setting (Yale University), which is an unfamiliar environment. This may have made participants’ behaviour unnatural.
• External Validity: 


  Strength = The study provides insight into human behaviour (e.g., obedience to authority), which can be applied to real-life situations like the Holocaust or workplace dynamics.
• Ethics 


  Weakness:

  The study raised ethical concerns, such as psychological harm (e.g., stress, guilt) and deception (participants were unaware of the true aim).

  However, Milgram argued that the benefits (understanding destructive obedience) outweighed the ethical costs.
• Usefulness 


  Strength:

  The study provides valuable insights into obedience, helping us understand real-world events (e.g., Nazi Germany) and potentially prevent destructive obedience in the future.