Milgram - Obedience

• What was the Original Study of MILGRAM?

  Structured Observation

  • Covert
• What was Milgram's Aim?

  He wanted to see if the general population would obey a stranger and inflict harm on another stranger - just because they were asked to
• What type of prompts were participants given?

  Verbal Prompts
• What was Milgram's PROCEDURE?

  40 male participants

  • They were aged between 20 and 50 years-old.

  Investigation took place at Yale University.

  Ps were deceived into thinking it was a test of learning.

  The learner and researcher were confederates (new experiment and had practiced night before).
• What were Milgram's FINDINGS?

  65% [26/40] exceeded maximum on the shock generator 4 times.

  • All participants exceeded 300 volts.

  5 withdrew at 315 volts

  4 withdrew at 330 volts

  2 withdrew at 345 volts

  1 withdrew at 375 volts

  1 withdrew between 390 and 450 volts

  • 3 of the participants showed neurological trauma
• What is Milgram's explanation for Obedience?

  Agentic Shift.
• What is Agentic Shift?

  We fail to take responsibility because we believe we are acting on behalf of an authority figure.

  • We autonomous to agentic because we perceive someone else is an authority figure that needs to be obeyed.
• What is Legitimate Authority?

  Some people have positions of authority because they have been entrusted in society with certain powers.

  • Social Hierarchy
• What were Milgram's Variations?

  Proximity

  Location

  Uniform
• What effect did Location have on Obedience levels according to Milgram's study?

  When instructions seems legitimate to the surroundings's you are in, you are more likely to obey - when they are different, you question whther that is right.
• Research Support for Location

  Original Study - LAB at Yale University

  Location testing - Rundown Building in Bridgeport.

  The participants administering the full 450 volts dropped from 65% to 47.5%
• What does the findings of Location suggest?

  Less credible Locations results in reduction in level of obedience
• What effect did Uniform have on the effect of Obedience?

  Uniforms infer more immediate obedience.

  To help us recognise legitimate authority in the real world we have adopted to recognisable clothing.
• Which research support effects of Uniform

  Bickman
• What did Bickman Find?

  Police clothes - 76% Obedience

  Milk Man Clothes - 47% Obedience

  Ordinary Clothes - 30%
• In Milgram's Variation how did he test effect of Uniform?

  Original Study Lab Coats

  Variation - Ordinary clothes

  The percentage dropped from 65% of 450 volts to 20%
• What was PROXIMITY's effect on obedience?

  Distance from authority figure makes people less likely to obey
• In Milgram's variation how did he test effect of Proximity on Obedience?

  Original Study - Same room as experimenter/researcher = 65%

  Variation - Learner and teacher (participant) in same room. Obedience dropped from 65% to 40%

  Another Variation - Teacher had to force learner's hand on shock plate = 30%

  Another Variation - Researcher left room after giving instruction = 21%
• Extra Example for Proximity

  Holocaust - Adolf Eichmann
• EVALUATION OF MILGRAM

  CULTURAL BIAS

  Respect for authority varies from country to country.

  • Mantell (1971) found 85% obedience levels in Germany and Kilham.
  • Mann (1974), in Australia where there is a greater tradition of questioning authority only 40% of the male participants and 14% of the female participants went to 450 volts on the shock generator.
• EVALUATION OF MILGRAM

  GOOD EXTERNAL VALIDITY SUPPORT

  Support from Hofling et al (1966) in real life setting.

  • Nurses. 21/22 (95%) obeyed doctor (confederate) over the phone to increase dosage to twice that advised on the bottle.
• WEAKNESS OF MILGRAM STUDY

  BAD EXTERNAL VALIDITY SUPPORT for CLOSE PROXIMITY

  A Nazi called Trapp in World War 2 was asked to take a number of Jews to the woods to kill them.

  • Despite being offered the opportunity to refuse, Trapp carried this out, despite having close proximity to the Jewish people and not having their superiors present.
• Is Milgram study an example of situational or dispositional factors?

  Situational.