Social Psychology

Question 1

Milgram, S. (1963) Procedures

Answer 1

Milgram’s Sample:

• 40 males (aged 20–50) from New Haven, responded to newspaper ad.
• Varied jobs (e.g., teachers, salesmen, engineers) and education (elementary school to doctorate).
• Believed it was a memory and learning study (actually obedience).
• Paid $4.50 for attending, kept payment regardless of participation.

Question 2

Milgram, S. (1963) Methodology

Answer 2

Milgram’s Methodology:

• Controlled observation in Yale lab.
• Naive P’s met Mr Wallace (confederate); rigged draw — always teacher.
• Learner strapped to electric chair; teacher in adjoining room with shock machine (15–450V).
• Mr Wallace gave mostly wrong answers (pre-set responses).
• Experimenter (grey coat) stayed with teacher, gave real sample shock.
• Teacher told to give shocks for wrong answers, increasing each time.
• If teacher hesitated, experimenter used 4 prods (“Please continue”, etc.).
• After, full debrief: teacher and learner reunited and interviewed.

Question 3

Methodology four standard prods

Answer 3

• Please continue.
• The experiment requires you to continue.
• It’s absolutely essential that you continue.
• You have no other choice, you must go on.

Question 4

Milgram, S. (1963) Findings Before the study

Answer 4

F – Milgram surveyed 14 psychology majors who estimated that 0-3% of participants would administer the
full 450 volts.

Question 5

Milgram, S. (1963) Findings from the experiment

Answer 5

Voltage level
Up to 300
315
330
345
360
375
390-450
Number obeying
40
35 (5 less)
31 (4 less)
29 (2 less)
28 (1 less)
27 (1 less)
26 (1 less)

Question 6

Milgram, S. (1963) Findings

Answer 6

There were a number of signs of extreme tension displayed by 14 participants. These were things such as:
* nervous laughter and smiling
* sweating
* stuttering
* biting their lip
* digging their fingernails into their flesh.
Three participants had full blown uncontrollable seizures.

Question 7

Milgram, S. (1963) Conclusions

Answer 7

Milgram concluded that the circumstances in which
the participants found themselves would combine to create a situation in which it proved difficult to disobey.

Question 8

(2)

Milgram, S. (1963) Conclusions

Answer 8

Milgram concluded that there were 13 elements of this situation that had contributed to these levels of obedience, such as payment and the experiment taking place at Yale University, which had an ‘unimpeachable reputation’.