Milgram

Question 0

Method

Answer 0

. Controlled observation

Question 1

Background & aim

Answer 1

. To investigate what level of obedience would be shown when participants were told by an authority figure to administer electric shocks to another person

Question 2

Sample

Answer 2

. Self selected sample
. 40 males aged 20-50
. Newspaper advert about a study into the effect of punishment on learning

Question 3

Procedure

Answer 3

. Ps assigned role of teacher via fixed lottery
. They witnessed the learner being attached to the chair with electrodes and told the shocks were painful but not harmful
. Teacher taken to next room and seated in front of a shock generator
. Teacher given sample shock of 45v
. Teacher instructed to test learners ability to recall series of word pairs
. For every incorrect answer the teacher instructed to administer shock which would be increased by 15v each time
. Experimenter encouraged teacher to obey by giving standardised series of verbal probs
. Learner classes as obedient when they reach 450v

Question 4

Results

Answer 4

. All of Ps obeyed experimenter up to 300v (when victim hit wall and stopped responding)
. 65% of Ps delivered max 450v
. Many Ps showed signs of distress. Some sweated, displayed nervous laughing and 3 Ps had seizures

Question 5

Conclusions & implications

Answer 5

Milgram stated that Ps obeyed due to various factors;

• took place in prestigious uni
• Ps believed it was for worthy purpose
• teacher believed the learner had volunteered
• equal chance of being teacher or learner

Individuals will obey authority figures even when they know that what they are doing is morally wrong