Milgram's study

• aim


  find out if ordinary Americans would obey unjust order to inflict pain on others
• procedure pre experiment


  -40 male volunteers responded to newspaper ad

  -ad was described as memory experiment and Ps told about role of punishment in learning

  -Yale university

  -confederate always learner & P always teacher

  -P watched confederate strapped into chair
• procedure of experiment


  -P read aloud series of word pairs

  -learner given electric shock by P when made error

  -P sat infront of 'shock generator'

  -generator had 30 levers > each indicating shock

  -15 volts to 450 volts

  -no shocks actually administered

  -confederate stopped pounding & responding at 315V

  -researcher encouraged P to keep giving shocks upon hesitation
• findings


  -all Ps went to at least 300V

  -65% of Ps went to 450V

  -most Ps dissented verbally but continued to obey researcher

  -many Ps showed signs of extreme anxiety, biting lips, trembling
• conclusion 


  -people obey orders that go against conscience

  -crimes against humanity most likely outcome of situational factors rather than dispositional
• situational factors


  -factors present in specific situation
• dispositional factors


  -factors present within P themself