Milgrams 1963

• Wanted to test the idea that germans were different to other people in that they were obedient in carrying out horrendous orders to slaughter jews.
• A pilot study took place where he described the experimental situation to a sample of psychiatrists, students and middle class adults asking them to predict how participates would behave.

  • Most Americans would stop before 150 volts
  • 4% would continue to 450 volts
• The aim of the study was to see if volunteer participants would be obedient to inhumane orders- how far would they go in harming just another ordinary person
• They were told it was an experiment on memory and learning
• There were two roles - teacher (participant) and learner (actor)
• Participants were recruited from local newspaper adverts
• Teachers had to read out word pairs from a list then ask questions about what the learner had memorised - shock button was used when wrong answer was given
• Teachers had to read out word pairs then ask questions about what the learner had learned. If correct they received a shock but if wrong they got a higher voltage until they answered correctly or reached 450 volts
• Teachers were given instructions by the researcher who wore a white coat and had a clipboard which gave him authority
• Learners were paid $4.50 for their participation
• Shock levels went up by 15v increments with labels such as 'slight shock', 'moderate shock' etc.
• Milgram found that 65% of teachers continued up to 450 volts despite screams and pleas for mercy
• The experiment took place in an office building at Yale University
• The other participant was a confederate and the voting was rigged so the naive subject was always the teacher
• Learner protested at 300 volts
• teachers told to take silence as a wrong answer
• The experimenter gave prods if teacher asked for advice

  1.) please continue

  2.) You have no other choice you must go on

  3.) Its absolutely essential you continue
• 100% of participants obeyed to 300 volts
• 14 participants stopped before 450 volts where as 26 carried on till the max
• Participnmats showed visible signs of distress like nervous twitching and laughing
• ' these are terrific vaults I don't think this is very humane ' where as some remained calm
• Conclusions

  • Yale university is prestigious so therefore believe that they wouldn't let anything unethical occur
  • The study seemed to have a worthy cause
  • The victim was not unwilling and had agreed to take part
  • The participant was paid so felt an obligation
  • It was thought the shocks were painful not dangerous
• Moral strains

  • Ps heard cries of the victim
  • Ps feared retaliation
  • Go against their own moral values
  • Conflict between needs of victim and authority figure