Milgram’s experiment

obedience

a form of social influence where an individual follows a direct order. the person giving orders is usually a figure of authority who has the power to punish.

aim of milgrams experiment

to assess obedience levels in people

sample of milgram's experiment

40 american men volunteered to take part in a study on memory. they were introduced to a confederate and played a rigged random allocation game where the participant would be the 'teacher' and the confederate 'the learner'.

procedure of milgrams experiment

learner was strapped to a chair with electrodes, they had to recall a pair of words and each time they failed the teacher would give stronger electric shocks. shocks were labelled as slight to severe. at 300v the learner would hit the wall with no response. at 315v they hit the wall again and remain silent until the end.

actions taken when participant refused to continue

participants were given 4 orders:

1. please continue
2. the experiment requires that you continue
3. it is absolutely essential that you continue
4. you have no other choice, you must go on

findings of milgrams experiment

milgram also collected qualitative data (observation) about behaviour

• every participant delivered the shocks up to 300v
• 5 participants stopped at 300v
• 26 continued up to 450v (highest voltage)
• participants showed signs of extreme tension, many turned out to sweat, tremble, stutter, bite their lips and dig their fingernails into their palms

research support for milgram's experiment - french documentary covering reality TV

participants played a 'game' where they were paid to give (fake) electric shocks to other participants (actors). 80% of participants went to the full 450v to the 'unconscious' man. they showed similar signs of anxiety to milgram's lads

research support for milgram's experiment - sheridan and king

participants gave real shocks to a puppy, despite real distress, 54% of men and 100% of women gave what they thought was a 'fatal shock'

limitations of milgram's experiment - demand characteristics

25% didn't believe that the shocks were real. they may have been 'play-acting' and going along with the experiment. the participants may have been responding to demand characteristics, therefore reducing the internal validity

limitations of milgram's experiment - limited sample

there is low population validity due to the sample being ethnocentric to americans and androcentric as there are only 40 american men as participants. also low temporal validity so overall there is low internal validity