Milgram's study - Obedience Flashcards
Where did Milgram’s study take place?
Yale University
Who took part in the study?
40 American men
How did they decide who would be the teacher and who would be the learner?
They drew lots. However, it was fixed so the participant was always the Teacher
What was the experimenter dressed in?
A grey lab coat
What happened when the learner got a question wrong?
The teacher was instructed to give an electric shock to them
What did the electric shock scale go up by?
Went up by 15 volts each time and went up to 450 volts
How many participants went up to 300 volts?
100%
What percentage of participants stopped at 300 volts?
12.5%
What percentage of participants went up to 450 volts?
65%
What behaviour observations did Milgram make about the participants?
They were sweating, trembling and dug their fingernails into their hands
What did Milgram conclude from the research?
That German people aren’t ‘different’.
What ages were the participants in Milgram’s study?
Between 20 and 50
How much were the participants paid for taking part?
$4.50
What is one strength of Milgram’s study?
Research support:
- Milgram’s findings have been replicated in a French TV show called ‘The game of death’
- 80% of participants delivered the maximum shock of 460 volts to an apparently unconscious man
What are the two limitations of Milgram’s study?
Low internal validity:
- 75% of participants thought the shocks were genuine
- Participants may have been responding to demand characteristics
Had a range of ethical issues:
- The participants were deceived as they thought the shocks were real.
- This could have caused serious psychological damage to the participants
