obidence- milgram Flashcards
(13 cards)
What is obedience?
Obedience is when a person complies with the orders of an authority figure.
What was the aim of Milgram’s obedience study?
investigate the extent to which people obey the orders of an authority figure.
How many participants were involved in Milgram’s experiment?
40 American male participants aged 20-50 were involved in the study.
What role did the participant assume in the Milgram experiment?
The participant was told he had been randomly assigned the role of ‘teacher’.
What did the experimenter instruct the teacher to do?
The teacher was instructed to give increasingly powerful electric shocks to the learner for each wrong answer.
What was the starting voltage of the electric shocks?
The electric shocks started at 15 volts.
What happened at 150 volts during the experiment?
At 150 volts, the learner began to protest.
What were the verbal prods used by the experimenter?
The experimenter used four verbal prods:
1. ‘Please continue’ or ‘please go on’
2. ‘The experiment requires that you continue’
3. ‘It is absolutely essential that you continue’
4. ‘You have no other choice, you must go on’
What percentage of participants administered the maximum shock of 450 volts?
26 out of 40 participants (65%) administered shocks all the way up to the maximum of 450 volts.
What physical symptoms did participants display during the experiment?
Most participants displayed physical symptoms of discomfort such as sweating, twitching, and nervously laughing.
What historical context motivated Milgram’s study?
Milgram’s study was motivated by a desire to understand why Nazi soldiers in World War 2 acted how they did.
What did Adolf Eichmann say at his trial?
Adolf Eichmann defended his actions by repeatedly saying ‘I was only following orders’.
What conclusion can be drawn from Milgram’s study regarding obedience?
suggests that American people will also obey the demands of an authority figure even if it means going against their moral compass.
