Milgram

• what did milgram want to find out in this experiment

  how far people would go obeying an instruction if it involved harming another person
• what inspired Milgrim to carry out the experiment

  At the Nuremberg trials, nazis claimed that they were 'just following orders' and were in fact innocent, despite aiding to the slaughter of millions.
• how did Adolf Eichmann inspire the study

  despite being a key figure in the implementation of 'The Final Solution', Eichmann claimed that he could not recognise that he was 'guilty' he could however recognise he was 'guilty of having been obedient
• what sample was used in the study

  self-selecting
• define self-selecting samples

  when people volunteer to take part in the study
• define agentic state

  people allow others to direct their actions, and then pass of the responsibility for the consequences to the person giving the orders
• describe the participants taking part in the study

  40 males, ages 20-50, from New Haven or surrounding communities
• how were the participants recruited

  obtained through newspaper advertisements and direct mailing- offered $4 for an hour, $4.50 if transport taken
• how many participants reached 300v

  40/40
• how many participants reached the maximum 450v

  26/40
• what percentage of participants reached 450v

  65%
• how would you describe the 26 participants that went to 450v

  they were 'obedient
• how would you describe the 14 participants that didn't reach 450v

  they were 'defiant
• where was the experiment conducted

  Yale university
• who played the role of experimenter

  a 31-year-old high school teacher of biology
• describe some typical actions of the participants observed by the experimenter

  sweating, trembling, stuttering, lip biting, groaning
• what actions did 14 participants do

  laughed and smiled nervously
• what actions did 3 participants do

  they had stress-induced uncontrollable seizures
• what two things did Milgram conclude after the study

  • this was a situation that produced extremely strong tendencies to obey
  • the situation generates extraordinary tension and emotional strain
• give four reasons for the high levels of obedience observed

  - the event was placed in yale university (with a high, dignified reputation)

  - participants paid to come to the laboratory (strengthened sense of obligation)

  - lack of clarity about what participants had expected of them and what would be over-stepping limits

  - participants reassured that the shocks were 'painful but not dangerous
• give four reasons for the high levels of tension experienced

  - participant placed in a position where he had to respond to competing demands from two people- both demands couldn't be met

  - demands of the experimenter and victim were very different

  - participants had little time for reflection during the experiment

  - participants experienced conflict between the idea of not hurting others but also obeying authority figures
• name 5 prods given by the experimenter

  - 'please continue'

  - 'please go on'

  - 'this experiment requires you to continue'

  - 'it is absolutely essential that you continue'

  - 'you have no other choice, you must go on
• what was said when experimenter was asked if electric shocks would lead in permanent injury

  'although the shocks may be painful, there is no permanent tissue damage so go on
• what occured after the experiment

  the participant was interviewed and a friendly reconciliation was made between the 'learner' and the participant
• what mean percentage of participants did yale students believe would be obedient

  1.20%
• name 5 strengths of this study

  (sample)- all men aged 20-50 so comparable to nazis

  (sampling method)- all volunteers so more likely to be willing participants

  (validity)- believable to participants, they thought they were giving the shocks so behaved genuinely

  (reliability)- standardised procedure, all participants experienced the same events

  (lack of demand characteristics)- participants were deceived so they didn't know the aim of the study
• name 4 weaknesses of this study

  (sample)- low population validity, no females so can't tell us about female audience

  (sampling method)- volunteered so may have felt they couldn't withdraw

  (ethics)- [harm] psychological stress shown by seizures. [deception] lied to about the aim of the study, really though they were giving the shocks when they weren't

  (ecological validity)- not representative of a real life situation where you would need to obey -its extreme
• what is population validity

  how representative your sample is compared to the target population