milgram

• What was the background for the study

  Milgram wanted to see if everyone would obey authority like in Nazi Germany
• What was the aim of the study?


  To investigate the extent to which people will obey authority figures despite their own moral conscience
• What was the sample and how were they recruited?


  40 males, recruited via an advert saying the study was about memory and the effects of punishment on learning

  They were payed £4.50 to take part
• What were the three types of participants?


  The Experimenter- 31 year old biology teacher, wore a lab coat to convey authority, stern expression

  The Confederate- 47 year old accountant, friendly and passive, ppnts were told he had a heart condition

  The participants were "randomly allocated" as the teacher each time
• What was the method and where did it happen?


  Controlled observation in a lab at Yale university
• What was the procedure?


  - All ppnts always given the teacher role through a fixed lottery

  - The ppnts saw the stooge strapped to a chair with electrodes on his arm which weren't on

  - The ppnts conducted a paired word test and gave shocks increasing in 15-volt increments for every wrong answer

  - The machine ranged from 15-450 volts and went up in 15

  - The stooge gave 3 wrong answers for every one correct answer

  - At 300 volts the stooge pounded on the wall and stopped replying after

  - If ppnts looked to the teacher for guidance they were told "Please continue" or "Please go on"

  - The study stopped when the ppnts refused to continue or reached the max 450 volts

  - Ppnts were then fully debriefed
• What were the results?


  - 65% of ppnts went up to 450 volts

  - 100% of ppnts went up to 300 volts

  - 14 ppnts showed nervous laughter

  - 3 ppnts had seizures

  - Ppnts mopped their brow- showing nervousness

  - Milgram gave 3 explanations:

  1. Because the study was at a prestigious uni (Yale) it will sway the ppnts of the study's worthiness and the competence of the researcher

  2. As the situation was new ppnts didnt know how to act

  3. The ppnts were told the shocks weren't harmful
• What were the conclusions?


  - Inhumane acts can be committed by ordinary people

  - People will obey those who they believe are legitimate authority fivgures despite their own moral conscience

  - People obey as situational features lead them to suspend their sense of autonomy and become an agent of an authority figure

  - Individual differences, eg. personality will influence the extent to which people will be obedient.