-The atrocity of the holocaust-Authority figures-Agency theory-Germans are different and how this inspired Milgram's workDuring WW2, millions of innocent people were killed on command by the Nazis during Hilter’s regime.This extreme example of obedience to anauthority figurehighlights the atrocities’ that can occur when people simply follow orders, evidenced by such a large number of people obeying to carry out such inhumane acts.This example of obedience highlighted the ability of people to move into anagentic state,recognising the need to obey and giving up their own free will to become an agent to authority.Events such as the WW2 prompted the‘Germans are different’ hypothesis, stating that Germans have a deficit which means that they have a readiness to obey people in authority regardless of the act that they are asked to carry out,prompting Milgram to conduct research to test his hypothesisthrough the use of American men.
To investigate what level of obedience would be shown when participants were told by an authority figure to administer electric shocks to another person.
What is a strength of the sample in Milgram's study?
-quite restrictive: make some valid comparisons , to enable him to compare the average male to Germans soldiers so he can conclude that they aren't different.
What is a strength of a controlled observation in Milgram's study (2)
-standardised procedure, easily replicable to check for reliability
-certain aspects of his procedure remained the same such as fixed role allocation, same environment at Yale university, responses from Mr Wallace (3 wrong for 1 correct), 4 prods used to encourage p's
How does Milgram's study illustrate the situational debate?
He argues it was due to theenvironmentthe study was carried out in (Yale University) and the influence of thepeople surroundingthe participant (Mr Wallace, The Experimenter) that caused the behaviour. The fact that 65% of participants went to 450 volts demonstrates the power of the situation.
How does Milgram's study illustrate the individual debate?
35% stopped before 450 volts demonstrating that they resisted the pressure of the situation providing an individual explanation as their personalities may have influenced whether they obeyed or disobeyed.
How does Milgram's study illustrate the determinism debate?
The Agency theory suggests that some social situations cause us to switch to a state of agency (agentic state). That is we recognise the need to obey through the situation and automatically enter a state of obedience.This is supported by the fact that 100% of participants gave a shock of at least 300 volts.Wegive up our own free willand conscience and become an agent of authority following the orders of an authority figure.
How does Milgram's study illustrate the free will debate?
We can link thisAgency theoryand the autonomous state. The fact that these participants actively did not obey the experimenter and stopped giving electric shocks suggests that either their conscience drove their behaviour.This is supported by the fact that35% of participants disobeyed the authority figure and stopped administering electric shocks before 450V. That they decided on their own that they wanted to stop.