Obedience

• What is obedience in psychological terms?

  Acting in response to an authority figure
• Who conducted research into obedience in 1963?

  Milgram
• What was the aim of Milgram's original study?

  To see if participants would obey authority
• What was the procedure of Milgram's obedience study?

  • Recruited 40 male participants
  • Conducted at Yale University
  • Introduced to Mr. Wallace (a confederate)
  • Fixed lots determined roles (teacher/learner)
  • Teacher in one room, learner in another
  • Teacher used a shock generator with 30 levers
  • Shock levels ranged from 15V to 450V
  • Learner indicated answers using lights
  • Teacher administered shocks for wrong answers
• How many male participants did Milgram recruit?

  40 male participants
• Where did Milgram's study take place?

  Yale University
• Who were Mr. Wallace and the experimenter in the study?

  They were confederates of Milgram
• What was the purpose of drawing lots in the study?

  To decide roles of teacher and learner
• What was fixed in the drawing lots process?

  1. Wallace was always the learner
• What did the teacher sit in front of during the experiment?

  A shock generator with 30 levers
• What was the range of shock levels on the generator?

  15V to 450V
• What did the 450V lever indicate?

  It was labelled “XXX”
• How was the shock generator tested?

  It was tested on the real participant
• What task did the learner have to perform?

  Learn pairs of words
• What is obedience in psychological terms?

  Acting in response to an authority figure
• How did the learner indicate their answers?

  Using a system of lights
• Who conducted research into obedience in 1963?

  Milgram
• What happened when the learner answered incorrectly?

  The teacher delivered an electric shock
• What was the aim of Milgram's original study?

  To see if participants would obey inhumane orders
• What was the initial response of the learner to the shocks?


  The learner answered correctly at first
• What did the learner do at 180V?

  Shouted he could bear the pain no longer
• What was the procedure of Milgram's obedience study?

  • Recruited 40 male participants
  • Conducted at Yale University
  • Introduced to Mr. Wallace (a confederate)
  • Fixed lots determined roles (teacher/learner)
  • Teacher in one room, learner in another
  • Teacher used a shock generator with 30 levers
  • Shock levels ranged from 15V to 450V
  • Learner indicated answers using lights
  • Teacher administered shocks for wrong answers
• What did the learner do at 300V?

  Screamed and complained about his heart
• How many male participants did Milgram recruit?

  40 male participants
• What happened at 315V?

  The learner fell silent
• Where did Milgram's study take place?

  Yale University
• Were the learner's protests real?

  No, they were pre-recorded
• What happened if the teacher hesitated?

  They were encouraged to continue by the experimenter
• Who were Mr. Wallace and the experimenter in the study?

  They were confederates of Milgram
• What was the purpose of drawing lots in the study?

  To decide roles of teacher and learner
• What did the experimenter use to encourage the teacher?

  A set of verbal prods
• What was fixed in the drawing lots process?

  1. Wallace was always the learner
• What were the findings of Milgram's study regarding participant obedience?

  • Psychiatrists predicted low obedience
  • Expected few to go beyond 150V
  • Only 1 in 1000 expected to reach 450V
  • 100% of participants went to 300V
  • 65% of participants continued to 450V
• What did the teacher sit in front of during the experiment?

  A shock generator with 30 levers
• What did psychiatrists predict about participant behavior?

  Most would refuse to obey beyond 150V
• What was the range of shock levels on the generator?

  15V to 450V
• What percentage of participants continued to 450V?

  65%
• What was the significance of the 450V lever?

  It was labelled “XXX” indicating danger
• What conclusion can be drawn from Milgram's findings?

  • Ordinary people can be astonishingly obedient
  • Atrocities are committed by obedient individuals
  • Not just evil people commit harmful acts
• How was the shock generator tested?

  It was tested on the real participant