Situational variables affecting obedience

• What actually happened?


  26/40 participants gave the full 450 volt shock despite the fact it was labelled 'danger
• Who conducted research into obedience

  Milgram (1963)
• How many people were tested?

  40 participants
• What were participants told the experiment was about?

  They were told it was about how punishment affects learning
• How was it decided who was the learner and the teacher?

  They drew lots in order to see what role they would be but it was rigged so the confederate was always the learner
• What was the task?


  The teacher had to test the learner on his ability to remember word pairs
• What happened when the participant gave a wrong answer?

  They would receive a fake electric shock and for every wrong answer the voltage went up by 15 volts
• What did the voltage start at?

  15 volts
• What was the maximum voltage?

  450 volts
• What happened when the voltage exceeded 300 volts?

  The learner would start to scream then there would be silence from then onwards
• What happened when the teacher wanted to leave?


  The experimenter would give prods like:" you must carry on"
• Before the study what did most people predict?

  That 1 in 1000 would go beyond 150 volts
• What actually happened?


  26/40 participants gave the full 450 volt shock despite the fact it was labelled 'danger
• How many participants went to 300 volts?

  All but 5
• What happened when the teacher and learner were in the same room?

  Obedience levels dropped to 40%
• What happened when the teacher had to place the learner hand in a place to administer the shock?

  Obedience levels dropped to 30%
• What happened when the experimenter gave orders over the phone?

  Obedience levels dropped to 21%
• What happened when the researcher dressed up in police uniform?

  72% of people obeyed
• What happened when the researcher dressed as a business executive?

  48% obeyed
• What happened when the researcher dressed as a beggar?

  52% obeyed
• Why did more people obey the researcher when dressed up in police uniform?

  They believed the researcher had more authority
• Why may have there been ethical issues with Milgram's study?


  He deceived the participants and deception goes against the BPS code of conduct.
• What examples of deception were there in the experiment?


  Participants led to believe it was a test on learning and that they were giving real electric shocks. Also they didn't allow participants to go and this breaks the code of conduct that states participants should have a right to withdraw
• What do these ethical issues tell us about Milgram's experiment

  That procedure of the experiment may have been unethical however it may have been necessary in order to reduce the chances of demand characteristics occurring.
• Why may there have been a lack of realism?


  Because the experimenter remained calm despite the fact the learner was being tortured so the teacher knew the electric shocks were fake.
• What research backs up the claim that there was a lack of realism?


  Orne and Holland (1968) claimed patients in psychological studies have learned to distrust the experimenter as they know the real purpose of the test may be disguised.
• However why did some critics claim that Milgram overlooked individual differences?


  Milgram found that there were no major differences between men and women in terms of obedience however a commonly held conception at the time was that women were more susceptible to social influence.
• However did Blass (1999) find out?


  After studying 9 other replications of Milgram's study he found no gender differences between men and women
• What does the research by Blass (1999) tell us?


  That Milgram's research does not suffer from gender beta bias and this helps to increase its validity
• Why may there be historical validity?


  A correlational analysis of Milgram's study showed similar results meaning Milgram's findings are still relevant today
• What evidence shows that there is historical validity?


  Blass (1999) analysed obedience studies carried out by other researchers between 1961 and 1985 and found similar levels of obedience.
• What does the research by Blass (1999) tell us?


  That Milgram's study still applies today and this helps to increase the reliability of his research.