Milgram

• Background

  • Adolf Eichmann organised the holocaust during WW2 and was put on trial for war crimes, he tried to prove he was not guilty by saying he was just following orders
  • Historians suggested that the Germans must have had some form of basic defect that allowed them to blindly obey their authority figures and commit such atrocities
• aim

  to investigate what level of obedience participants would go to when asked to deliver electric shocks to someone by an authority figure
• method

  controlled observation: dependent variables but no independent variables
• sample

  • 40 males from the New haven area, aged between 20 and 50, from a wide range of occupations including teachers and postal clerks
  • self-selected
  • sample was collected by advertisements in local newspaper, direct mail to New Haven residents
  • 4.50 payment for attending
• procedure

  • participants assigned the 'random' role of teacher, they are paired with a 'learner' who is actually a confederate
  • participant is given a sample shock of 45V
  • he is told he will conduct a paired word test, for every word the learner gets wrong, they receive a shock, increaseing by 15V each time
  • the learner gave a set of scripted answers, 3/4 he gets wrong
  • the learner starts making distressed noises at 300V, then stops answering, pounds on the wall at 315V, experiments ends at 450V
  • the experimenter used standardised prods when prompted by the participant
• findings

  • all participants continued to 300V
  • 65% continued to the full 450V
  • participants were observed to swear, tremble, stutter, bite their lips, groan and dig fingernails into their flesh
  • 14 showed nervous laughter
  • 3 had uncontrollable seizures
• conclusions

  • this is a situation that produces extremely strong tendencies to obedience
  • the situation generates extraordinary tension and emotional strain
  • high levels of obedience were due to it being held at Yale, the participant being a paid volunteer and so felt obliged to continue, participants were also ensured that the shocks were not dangerous and believed that they could have easily been in that position (as they were randomly assigned 'teacher')
• links to the areas


  • shows that other people (authority figures) have a large influence on behaviour (majority went to 450V when instructed by the experimenter)