Core Studies: Milgram

• What behaviour does Milgram study?

  Obedience
• What is the background of Milgram‘s study?

  1. The Holocaust; normal people blindly obey Hitler’s authority, up to 12000 deaths daily 2. Social psychologists say ppl socialised to obey authority or face consequences 3. Prompted Milgram generate Agency Theory-in authority‘s presence ppl will move from autonomous to agentic state regardless of if the situation is unethical 4. Milgram addressed ‘Germans are different‘ theory-suggests obedient by disposition by testing this with American man
• What was the sample size and demographic of Milgram's study participants?

  40 males aged 20-50 from New Haven
• What was the false aim of the study advertised to participants?

  A study of memory
• How much were participants paid for their involvement in the study?

  $4.50
• Why was the setting of Yale University significant in Milgram's study?

  It was a prestigious institution that lent credibility to the experiment
• What was Milgram’s aim?

  Investigate what level of obedience is shown when told by authority figure to administer electric shocks to another person.
• What was the sampling method?

  Volunteer-false aim was advertised in a local newspaper.
• What was Milgram’s research method?

  Controlled observation, no clear IV or DV, observed through one way mirror in a psychology lab in Yale University.
• What were Milgram’s findings?

  Quan: 100%^300V, 65%^450V Qual: signs of tension, 3 ps had uncontrollable seizures
• What were the conclusions of Milgram’s study?

  There is no such thing as an obedient type of person, we’d all enter an agentic state and obey orders in the right situation, so Germans aren’t different.
• What could explain the participant‘s obedience?

  1. was at Yale Uni which is prestigious institution which lent credibility to experiment 2. Jack Williams wore white lab coat so appeared legitimate and authoritative so followed his instructions 3. p believed Mr Wallace had volunteered so obliged to continue study even if unpleasant 4. ps also obliged to continue
• Outline Milgram’s procedure part 1.

  Ps observed individually, 2 pieces of paper, teacher or learner (rigged), met Mr Wallace (confederate). Mr W strapped to fake shock generator and electrode paste applied, p given test shock of 45V to feel pain. P in separate room, tested Me W on pairs of words remembered, if right answer ->next q, if wrong ->shock, each wrong answer ^15V next time.
• Outline Milgram’s procedure part 2.

  Mr W’s responses pre-recorded on tape at 300V banged on wall + stopped responding. Jack Williams gave standardised prods if ps wanted to stop, same sequence eg Prod 1 ‘Please Continue’. Only terminated test if disobeyed after Prod 4, if ps^450V or if walked out. Ps debriefed, shown Mr W not harmed, explained obedient beh normal, independent psych interviewed ps a year later, no long-term psych effects observed.
• How was data collected in this study?

  Field notes made by experimenter + additional observers from behind one-way mirror, made sessions filmed and occasional photos taken.