Obedience (Milgram's experiment)

• Aim of the Milgram experiment

  To investigate what level of obedience would be shown when participants were told by an authority figure to administer an electric shock to another person. Specifically Milgram wanted to test if people obey due to situational factors or dispositional (your personality) factors.
• When was the Milgram experiment?


  1963
• How many male participants were involved in the Milgram experiment?

  40 male participants
• How did the participants learn about the Milgram experiment?

  They volunteered after seeing a newspaper article from Yale University
• What role did the confederate play in the Milgram experiment?


  The confederate acted as another participant
• What was the setup for the learner in the Milgram experiment?

  The learner was strapped to a chair that would administer electric shocks
• How much did the electric shock increase for each incorrect answer during the Milgram experiment?

  By 15V for each incorrect answer
• What phrases were used to persuade participants to continue administering shocks during the Milgram experiment?

  Phrases such as 'it's absolutely essential that you continue' were used
• What was the voltage level that every participant reached in the Milgram experiment?

  Every single person continued to 300V
• What was the maximum voltage level administered in the Milgram experiment?

  The maximum was 450V
• What happened at the end of the Milgram study?

  The teacher was reunited with the learner and assured that no shocks had actually been administered
• What additional steps did Milgram take after the experiment?

  Milgram interviewed the subjects and conducted psychological tests to ensure their well-being
• What was the demeanor of the lab person in the Milgram experiment?


  The lab person had no emotion and wore a lab coat for more authority
• What are the key components of the Milgram experiment procedure?

  • 40 male participants volunteered after seeing a newspaper article
  • Participants were introduced to a confederate
  • The learner was strapped to a chair for electric shocks
  • Shocks increased by 15V for each incorrect answer
  • Persuasive phrases were used to encourage continuation
  • All participants reached 300V, maximum was 450V
  • Participants were assured no shocks were administered afterward
  • Psychological tests were conducted for well-being
  • Lab person wore a lab coat and displayed no emotion
• How many participants were involved in the Milgram experiment?

  40 participants
• What percentage of participants obeyed up to 450 volts in the Milgram experiment?

  65%
• At what voltage level did 5 participants refuse to continue in the Milgram experiment?

  300 V
• How many participants broke off at the 330 V level during the Milgram experiment?

  Two participants
• What was the emotional response of obedient participants after administering the maximum shock multiple times during the Milgram experiment?

  They heaved sighs of relief or shock in apparent regret
• What physical signs of nervousness and tension were observed in participants during the Milgram experiment?

  Participants showed signs such as sweating, digging in fingernails, and trembling
• How many participants experienced nervous laughing fits during the Milgram experiment?

  14 out of 40 participants
• How many participants experienced full-blown uncontrollable seizures during the Milgram experiment?

  3 participants
• What happened during the Milgram experiment that caused it to be halted?

  A participant had a violently convulsive seizure
• On what scale were participants asked to rate their nervousness during the Milgram experiment?

  On a scale from 0 to 14
• What were the key findings regarding participant obedience in the Milgram experiment?

  • 65% of participants obeyed up to 450 V
  • 35% stopped somewhere between 300 and 450 V
  • 100% gave a shock of 300 V
• Conclusions of the Milgram experiment

  -More people than expected obeyed

  -People obey out of fear or out of a desire to appear cooperate

  -This shows that it is natural for humans to obey and this suggests that the Germans were not pure evil like many people thought at the time.
• How is the Milgram experiment 10 different from the original experiment?

  It is located at a run down office building in Bridgeport, Connecticut rather than Yale University. The place doesn't feel as important so they don't feel as pressured and this caused the obedience rate to be 47.5% (17.5% down from the original experiment).
• How is the Milgram experiment 7 different from the original experiment?

  The experimenter left the subject in the room with the machine and gave instructions via a telephone rather than in person. This is because social pressure is greater when the experimenter is face to face. This led to the subject deceiving the experimenter and administering lower shocks than they were meant to. The obedience was 3 times lower than the original experiment.
• How is the Milgram experiment 13 different from the original experiment?

  An ordinary man not in uniform is present in the room giving orders to the subject rather than a man in a lab coat. This means that the ordinary man gas no role or authority + therefore ppt no longer feel the need to obey their instructions. Only 1/3 of as many subjects followed the common man as followed the experimenter.
• Outline the process of moving from the autonomous state to the agentic state 


  When ordered by a person of legitimate authority a person will shift from the autonomous state (where in this state individuals make decisions based on their own ideas, beliefs and experiences) to the agentic state (where in this state individuals give up their own responsibility, deferring to those of higher status). This is known as agentic shift.
• What is the social impact theory

  The theory focuses on the presence and actions of others. The basic idea behind social impact theory is social force. The term “social impact” refers to the effect that real or imagined people can have on our behaviour.
• SIT Factor of Strength

  Status and knowledge - The message will be strengthened if the person doing the convincing is an expert in the field or has perceived power or status
• SIT Factor of Immediacy

  The message will have more impact if it comes from friends rather than strangers. Physical and psychological importance is important too. (Milgram experiment 7)
• SIT Factor of Number

  The number of sources influencing the target impacts the social impact. More sources = more social impact
• SIT First principle (The multiplicative effect)

  The more people present, the more influence they will have on each individual
• SIT Second principle (the law of diminishing returns)

  The theory of social impact states while the impact of others on the individual increases as the number of people increases, the rate of increase in impact grows less as each new individual is added.
• SIT Third principle (The divisional effect)

  Each individual can influence others, but the more people are present. Social force is divided between targets.

  E.g. We are more likely to listen attentively to a speaker if we are in a small group than if we were in a large group.