Obedience

Define obedience

A type of social influence where an individual complies with or follows a direct order, usually from a figure of authority

Why did milligram study o

Briefly outline milgrams tudy procedure

40 male American volunteers aged 21-50 were split into learners and teachers. Teachers administered electric shocks to learners for wrong answers, encouraged by an experimenter in a lab coat. Participants were paid.

Results of migrant study

65% delivered a fatal 450V shock, 3 had seizures, no one stopped before 300V, 12.5% stopped at 300V. Qualitative data showed signs of extreme stress.

Percentage of participants glad to participate

After debriefing, 85% said they were glad to have participated

Milgrams conclusion

We obey orders from authority figures due to social hierarchy. Factors affecting obedience: location, uniform, proximity

generalisability of milgrams

Used 40 American males, not representative enough. Findings not applicable to women or wider age ranges

Replicabiity of milgram

Standardized lab procedure allows for replication. Sheridan + King 1972 found similar results with real shocks on a puppy

Implications for society

Study highlights obedience to destructive orders from authority figures. Applicable to preventing abuse of authority in society

Evaluationvalidity