Obedience

What is the historical reason for Milgrams procedure?

Wanted an answer on why such a high proportion of the German population obeyed Hitler & killed over 6 million Jews in Holocaust

What does obedience mean?

A form of social influence where an individual follows a direct order.

Person issuing order generally a figure of authority who has the power to punish

What were the proceedings of Milgram's baseline procedure?

- 40 american men volunteered about a study on "memory”

- Volunteer introduced to confederate & both drew lots to see whose teacher / student

- Draw was fixed -> participant always teacher

-Experimenter , dressed in lab coat, who was confederate also involved

What was the setup of Milgrams study ?

Teacher can not see learner but can hear him

What happened when Learner made a mistake?

Teacher gave electric shock -> shocks increased with each mistake in 15 volt steps up to 450V

Shocks were fake but labelled to suggest very dangerous

What number of volts did every participant deliver the shocks to?

300 volts

What percent stopped at 300V?

12.5%

What percent continued to 450V ?

65%

What qualitative data & opinions did Milgram collect?

Participant showed signs of extreme tension

Sweating, trembling, biting lips, groan, dig fingernails into hand

3 had full blown uncontrollable seizures

What evidence shows that his findings were unexpected and that participants generally viewed the study positively?

14 students→ predicted ≤3% would reach 450V → obedience was unexpected.
84% glad they participated → supports argument that ethical impact was not entirely negative

What did Milgram conclude?

• German people are not different -> american participants willing to obey even when they might harm others

How much did participants get paid for taking part?

$4.50

Were there any genuine shocks?

Participant given small shock at start to experience for themselves

What did the confederate learner do from 300 volts & onwards ?

• 300V -> pounded on wall then no responce to next question

• 315V - > again pounded on wall but silent for rest of procedure

What did experimenter do to get participant to continue?

4 prods

What were the 4 prods

What is a strength & research support of Milgram's findings?

• Findings replicated in french documentary about reality TV

• Participants in 'game' paid to give electric shocks to confederates in front of studio audience

• 80% delivered maximum shock of 450V to unconscious man

• Behaviour almost identical to Milgram participants -> nervous laugh, nail biting & more

What is a limitation of Milgram's procedure?

• Low internal validity

• Milgram reported 75% of participants believed shocks were real.

• Orne & Holland: argued participants may have played along, rather than genuinely believing the situation.

• Perry : listened to tapes & said on 1/2 believed in shocks being real & 2/3 of them were disobedient

• Participant's responding to demand characteristics

Evidence that obedience was genuine?

• Sheridan & King : replicated Milgram using a puppy.

• 54% of men + 100% of women obeyed despite seeing the puppy distressed.

• → Supports the idea that Milgram's participants showed genuine obedience

Why might Milgrams conclusions about blind obedience not be justified?

Milgrams participants obeyed when given first 3 verbal prods

When given 4th every participant disobeyed

Social identity theory -> participants obeyed when they identified with scientific aims of research not blindly obeying authority figure

Shows social identity is more valid interpretation of findings

What was ethical issues in milgram study?

• participants were deceived

• thought allocation of roles & the shocks were real

• possibility that deception in phycological studies can have serious consequences