milgram 1963

• Milgram's Behavioral Study of Obedience

  Study of the levels of obedience to authority figures
• Milgram's study published in Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology


  1963
• Sample


  • 40 males from New Haven newspaper advertisement
  • Aged 20-50 with variety of jobs and education levels
  • Paid $4.50 to attend lab
• Methodology


  1. Controlled observation in Yale lab

  2. Naive participants drawn to be 'teacher'

  3. Learner (confederate) strapped to 'electric chair'

  4. Teacher administers shocks as instructed

  5. Experimenter gives prods to continue
• Before the study, psychology majors estimated 0-3% of participants would administer full 450 volts
• Findings


  • Signs of extreme tension in 14 participants
  • 3 participants had full blown seizures
• Voltage levels and number of participants obeying

  • Up to 300 volts: 40 obeying
  • 315 volts: 35 obeying
  • 330 volts: 31 obeying
  • 345 volts: 29 obeying
  • 360 volts: 28 obeying
  • 375 volts: 27 obeying
  • 390-450 volts: 26 obeying