Findings 2

• The shock machine

  The teacher was taken to the adjoining room and seated in front of the shock generator. This large machine had 30 switches on it, each showing an incremental rise in voltage starting at 15 volts and going up to 450 volts. For every 4 switches, there were ‘shock’ labels, starting at ‘slight shock’ at 15 volts to ‘intense shock’ at 255 volts and finally ‘XXX’ at 450 volts, a potentially fatal shock. The experimenter gave the teacher a ‘sample’ 45 volt shock using a hidden battery to demonstrate that the machine was real.
• The learning task


  once the study began, the teacher was told to administer a shock when the learner gave a wrong answer, and to escalate to a higher level of shock each time, announcing the shock level each time. The learner was told to make no comment or protest until the shock level of 300 volts was reached. At this point he should pound on the wall. The learner’s pounding is repeated at 315 volts, after this he is not heard from and his answers don’t appear on the 4-way signal box.
• Feedback from experimenter

  the experimenter was trained to give a sequence of 4 standard ‘prods’ if the teacher hesitated about delivering the shock or asked for guidance: ‘Please continue’; ‘The experiment requires that you continue’; ‘It is absolutely essential that you continue’; ‘You have no other choice, you must go on’. There were also special prods such as: ‘Although the shocks may be painful, there is no permanent tissue damage, so go on’.
• Dehoax


  after the research was completed, the teacher was thoroughly ‘dehoaxed’ (debriefed) and the experimenter reunited the teacher and learner. They were then interviewed about their experience in this study.
• Prior to the study, Milgram surveyed 14 Yale psychology students. They estimated that 0-3% of the participants would administer 450 volts.
• The findings from the actual study showed this was a huge underestimation. A large majority continued to the highest level.
• At 300 volts, 5 (12.5%) of the participants refused to continue. This was the point at which the learner made the only protest. All the participants had continued to this point.
• A total of 26 of the 40 participants (65%) administered the full 450 volts. This does also mean that 35% of the participants defied the experimenter's authority.
• many subjects showed nervousness, and a large number showed extreme tension: 'subjects were observed to sweat, tremble, stutter, bite their lips, groan and dig their finger-nails into their flesh'
• Behaviours displayed by subjects

  • Nervous laughter and smiling
  • Remarks and outward behaviour indicating acting against their own values in punishing the learner
• In the post-experimental interview (the 'dehoax'), these participants explained that they were no sadistic and that their laughter had no meant that they were enjoying shocking the learner
• Three participants had 'full-blown uncontrollable seizures'
• One participant had such a violent convulsion that the research session had to be stopped