obedience: milgram's research

Question 1

Who designed the obedience procedure used in the study?

Answer 1

Milgram

Question 2

What was the main aim of Milgram’s study?

Answer 2

To assess obedience levels.

Question 3

How many American men took part in Milgram’s baseline study?

Answer 3

40 men.

Question 4

What roles were assigned in Milgram’s study?

Answer 4

Teacher (T), Learner (L), and Experimenter (E).

Question 5

Who were confederates in the study?

Answer 5

The Learner (L) and the Experimenter (E).

Question 6

What task was given to the Teacher?

Answer 6

To administer shocks of increasing voltage to the Learner for wrong answers.

Question 7

What was the maximum voltage?

Answer 7

450 volts.

Question 8

Were the shocks real?

Answer 8

No, they were fake but the Teacher did not know that.

Question 9

What percentage of participants delivered the full 450 volts?

Answer 9

65%

Question 10

What percentage stopped after delivering a shock of 300 volts?

Answer 10

12.5%.

Question 11

What is qualitative data Milgram collected?

Answer 11

Participants showed signs of extreme tension, like sweating, trembling, and nervous laughter.

Question 12

How did some participants react physically?

Answer 12

~ Biting lips
~ Stuttering
~ Digging nails into hands

Question 13

How many had full-blown uncontrollable seizures?

Answer 13

Three participants.

Question 14

What did psychology students predict before the study?

Answer 14

No more than 3% would deliver the maximum 450 volts.

Question 15

What does the gap between prediction and results show?

Answer 15

People are more obedient than expected.

Question 16

What happened during the debrief?

Answer 16

Participants were told the shocks weren’t real and asked to complete a follow-up questionnaire.

Question 17

What percentage said they were glad to have participated?

Answer 17

84%

Question 18

What was Milgram’s conclusion about Germans during WW2?

Answer 18

Germans are not different; the situation influenced obedience.

Question 19

What documentary replicated Milgram’s findings?

Answer 19

A French documentary based on ‘Le Jeu de la Mort’.

Question 20

What percentage of French participants gave shocks to 460 volts?

Answer 20

80%

Question 21

What is a criticism regarding internal validity?

Answer 21

Many believed the shocks were not real—questioning the study’s validity.

Question 22

What is demand characteristics?

Answer 22

When participants behave a certain way to fit expectations of the study.

Question 23

What did Perry (2013) find about participants’ beliefs?

Answer 23

Only half believed the shocks were real.

Question 24

What did Sheridan and King (1972) do differently?

Answer 24

Used a real puppy receiving shocks instead of a human.

Question 25

What were Sheridan and King’s findings?

Answer 25

54% of men and 100% of women gave what they thought was a fatal shock.

Question 26

What does Sheridan and King’s study suggest?

Answer 26

Obedience can be genuine, even with real consequences.

Question 27

What alternative explanation was proposed by Haslam et al. (2014)?

Answer 27

Social Identity Theory (SIT).

Question 28

What does SIT suggest about obedience?

Answer 28

People obey when they identify with the experiment’s goals.

Question 29

What phrase was key in SIT’s interpretation?

Answer 29

“The experiment requires that you continue.”

Question 30

What did Milgram originally suggest as the reason for obedience?

Answer 30

Identification with the science and authority figure.