Milgram

• Aim of Milgram's study

  To investigate the 'Nazis are different' hypothesis
• Participants of Milgram's study

  40 males aged between 20 and 50
• Where did Milgram's study take place?

  Yale University
• What were the participants in Milgram's study told the study was on?

  Learning and memory
• Who were the participants met by in Milgram's study?

  Experimenter in a grey coat and a stern demeanour
• What were the roles in Milgram's study?

  • Experimenter
  • Teacher
  • Learner
• Who was the teacher in Milgram's study?

  The participant
• Who was the learner in Milgram's study?

  A confederate pretending to be a particpant
• What happens to the learner at the beginning of Milgram's study?

  "Electrode" is attached to his wrist and paste is applied in another room from the teacher
• Where is the teacher taken in Milgram's study?

  A room with the shock generator unit
• What was the range of voltage on the shock generator unit in Milgram's study?

  15 - 450
• What was the teacher told about the shocks in Milgram's study and what was the truth?

  • Told it would be painful but would not kill the learner and cause no permeant damage
  • In reality it was a high enough dosage to kill them
• What is the teacher told to do in Milgram's study?

  Administer electric shocks on an increasing scale for each wrong answer
• What did the learner say at 120v in Milgram's study?

  "The shocks are very painful"
• What did the learner say at 150v in Milgram's study?

  "Get me out of here"
• What did the learner say at 180v in Milgram's study?

  "I can't stand the pain"
• What did the learner say at 270v in Milgram's study?


  Agonised screams
• What did the learner say at 300v in Milgram's study?


  Pounding on the wall
• What did the learner say after 300v in Milgram's study?

  Silence
• First prod from the experimenter in Milgram's study?

  "Please continue" or "Please go on"
• Second prod from the experimenter in Milgram's study?

  "The experiment requires that you continue"
• Third prod from the experimenter in Milgram's study?

  "It is absolutely essential that you continue"
• Fourth prod from the experimenter in Milgram's study?

  "You have no other choice, you MUST continue"
• What happened after the fourth prod in Milgram's study?


  The experiment is terminated
• Percentage of participants that went to 300v in Milgram's study?

  100%
• Percentage of participants that went to 450v in Milgram's study?

  65%
• Were Milgrams participants happy to go up to higher voltages?

  No they had fits of nervous laughter, sweated, groaned, trembled, even pleaded to stop
• Conclusion of Milgram's study

  The Nazis are different hypothesis was disproven anyone in the right conditions is likely to show blind obedience
• Milgram follow up: Run down office building

  47.5% 450v
• Milgram follow up: Instructions over the phone

  20.5% 450v
• Milgram follow up: Teacher and learner in the same room

  40% 450v
• Milgram follow up: Teacher had to force learner's hand on to plate to receive shock

  30% 450v
• Milgram follow up: Teacher given support from 2 other teachers (confederates) who refuse to continue


  10% 450v
• Milgram follow up: Teacher paired with an assistant (confederate) who threw the switches


  92.5% 450v
• What type of participants were less obedient in Milgram's study?

  Educated participants
• What type of participants were more obedient on Milgram's study?

  Military personnel
• Who studied cultural differences in Milgram's study?

  Smith and Bond
• What did Smith and Bond find?

  85% in Germany and 40% for male Australians
• Strength of Milgram's study


  Reliability
• Why is "reliability" a strength of Milgram's study?

  • In a recent (2012) French reality TV show, contestants were paid to give electric shocks when ordered to by the presenter
  • 80% gave the maximum of 460 volts to an 'unconscious' man