Obediance | Milgram’s study

What was the main aim of Milgram's baseline study?

To assess obedience levels by seeing if people would obey an authority figure's orders to administer increasingly severe electric shocks to another person

How were the roles of 'Teacher' and 'Learner' assigned in Milgram's study?

Through a fixed lottery draw, ensuring the real participant was always the 'Teacher' and the confederate was always the 'Learner'.

What percentage of participants in Milgram's baseline study obeyed to the maximum 450 volts

65% of participants were fully obedient and administered the highest shock level.

What qualitative data did Milgram collect that showed the participants' distress?

Observations of extreme tension, including sweating, trembling, stuttering, and even uncontrollable seizures in some participants.

What was Milgram's key conclusion about why people obey?

It's not due to a national character (like being German), but rather situational factors that can make ordinary people obey orders to harm others

How did the French documentary "The Game of Death" support Milgram's findings?

It replicated the setup in a game show context, and 80% of participants obeyed to deliver the maximum (460V) shock, showing the findings weren't a one-time result.

What is the criticism regarding the study's internal validity?

Critics argue participants may not have believed the shocks were real and were just play-acting to meet the study's demands (demand characteristics)

What finding from Sheridan and King's study counters the low internal validity criticism?

Participants gave what they thought were real, fatal shocks to a puppy, showing obedience occurs even when the harm is real.

How does Social Identity Theory (SIT) offer an alternative interpretation of Milgram's findings?

It argues people obeyed not out of blind obedience, but because they identified with the scientific purpose. They disobeyed when ordered to blindly obey ("you must go on").