Milgram

• The participants were told that they were taking part in an experiment on memory retention.
• They were instructed by a man (the "teacher") to administer electric shocks to another participant (the "learner"), who was actually an actor playing his role.
• Milgram's experiment was conducted to investigate the extent to which people would obey authority figures, even if it meant harming others.
• They were asked to read out words from a list, then the learner would be given a shock when they got it wrong.
• The teacher had to read out words, which the learner would then have to remember and recall at different intervals.
• Milgram was interested in how far people would go against their conscience
• If the learner made mistakes or failed to answer within a certain time limit, the teacher could deliver increasingly stronger electric shocks as punishment.
• The shock generator had 30 switches labeled from 15 volts up to 450 volts, with the final switch marked "Danger - Severe Shock".
• Sample

  40 male participants aged between 20 & 50 years from New Haven area.
• what Uni did it take place at

  Lab at Yale University.
• How was data gathered

  Gathered through observations made by the experimenter in the room and through one way mirrors.
• What did the participants get in return

  paid $4.50
• When did the study finish

  When the 'teacher' refused to continue or when they got to 450v
• How many participants where obedient

  26
• How many participants where disobedient

  14
• How many participants continued to 300v

  40/40
• How many participants continued to 450v

  26/40
• Weakness of Sample

  All from same part of the country (ethnocentric.) All males. Volunteers, atypical.
• Strength of sample

  40males, average size for lab based study
• Strengths of Ethics

  Consented to take part. Debriefed at the end. Withdraw at any time.
• Weakness of Ethics

  Deceived about the purpose of the study. Discouraged them from withdrawing, gave prods.
• Freewill

  The 35% who walked away before reaching max shock can be seen to be exercising free will, choosing how to act.
• Determinism

  65% who administered the 450v can be seen as having their behaviour determined by the situation which they where in.
• Individual

  35% did resist the pressure of the situation & their individual personalities had a greater influence than the pressures around them.
• Situational

  65% went to the top which shows the power of the situation to influence behaviour.