Milgram - Baseline study

Strength - replications ( French tv shows )

• contestants paid to give ( fake ) electric shock when ordered by presenter to other PPTS

• most contestants gave maximum shock level even to an unconscious man

• signs of anxiety were shown

  • supporting Milgram’s findings

limitation - low internal validity (Orne and Holland )

• argued PPts guessed te electric shock were fake

• so were play-acting

  • suggesting PPts may have been responding to demand characteristics

Negative - Sheridan and King’s Dogs

• PPts gave real electric shocks to the puppy

• thinking it would be fatal

• 54% of men and 100% of women obeyed

  • showing that Milgram’s findings may be genuine

Limitation - Ethical issues

• PPTs in his study were deceived ( memory study and told shocks were real )

• PPts were not protected from harm as most showed signs of distress ( one even had a full-blown seizure)

• PPTs did not have to right to draw as the prods forced them to continue

• this research can damage the reputations of psychologists and their research in the eyes of the public