Milgram (1963) Shocking Experiment

Social approach

AIM

To investigate how obedient people are to an authority figure asking them to physically harm another person.

Psychology being investigated

• Destructive obedience: obedience that has potential to cause psychological or physical harm to another

What psychologists have learned abut obedience through Milgram:

• people will follow destructive orders from a person with authority

• people will influct harm on an innocent person if told to

• some people do resist authority figures when it comes to obedience

• it is not only germans in ww2 who were blindly obedient to authority figures

Sample

• self-selecting/volunteer

• readers of local newpaper

• through news paper advertisement

• 40 all male

• between 20-50 years old

• form New Haven

• variety of educational backgrounds/ occupation/ postal clearks, teachers, saleman, engineers,…

Research method & design, and stooges

• controlled observation in lab settings

• at yale university

• independent measures design

stooges:

• mr william - the experimenter - authority figure

• mr wallace - the confederate - the learner

Explain why this study is from the social approach

• the study was looking at how an individual affects people’s ability to be obedient (1 mark)

• the experimenter would give prods to ps when they refused to continue (to stop) to try keep them trying larger and larger shocks. (1 mark)

Lowest and highest voltage shock that was labelled on the shock generator

Lowest: 15 volts

Highest: 450 volts

Milgram suggested one reason for obedience was the payment to the ps ($4.5 each)

Suggest other reason for obedience in this study.

• authority figure (the biology teacher wearing gray technician coat)

• the experimenter’s prods

• the way the experimenter was dressed

• being in a university

Features of the experimenter in this study

• male

• high school biology teacher

• early 30

• manner was impassive

• appearance was stern/serious

• dressed in gray technician coat

• provided prods to continue the study( if the ps wanted to stop)

Procedure: Preparation

• pairing ps with confederate, assigning roles through a rigged draw (drew slips from hat). the ps → always a teacher was instructed ti administer electric shocked to confederate (learner) for incorrect answers to a memory task.

• The learner was taken into a room and strapped int an electric chair

• the ps and experimenter went into a separate room next door that contained an electric shock generator.

Procedure: the Learning task

• the ps was given a preliminary series of 10 words to read to the learner, with 7 predetermined wrong answers, reaching 105 volts.

• after each round, a second list was given, and the ps was told to repeat the procedure until all word pairs were learned correctly

• the ps read a second list of words. the ps then read one word from each pair and provided 4 possible options for the matching word

• the learner has to indicate which the correct match by pressing one of the 4 switches

• this task served as a pretext for administering shocks, allowing the experimenters to study obedience to authority in a controlled setting.

• Each in correct answer resulted in a shock, while correct answer moved the process to the next word.

Procedure: Fake shocking generator

• not real, however the ps believed that it was real → crucial to measure the obedience to authority figures even when it involved causing harm to others

• the ps was given a mild electric shock of 45v to the wrist → convince that its genuine.

• Milgram watched through the one-way mirror

The device:

• 30 lever switches or buttons

• each clearly labeled with a voltage level

• voltage range: 15-450 volts

• increased by 15-volt increments

• When the switch was pressed → red light + electric buzzing + a blue light labelled ‘voltage energized’

• The voltage level: slight shock, moderate shock, strong shock, very stroung shock, intense shock, extreme intensity shock, danger: severe shock, XXX

Procedure: Learner (confederate)

• mr wallace, 47 y.o., mild-minded, Irish-American, and is an accountant (real), white, likeable.

• the learner was taken into a separate room and trapped into an electrical chair

• he had electrodes attached to his wrist with paste (to avoid blistering)

• straps to prevent excessive movement

• learner’s responses were predetermined, with a schedule of approximately three wrong answers to one correct answer. → standardised protocol for all 40ps.

• the learner continued to provide answers (mostly incorrect) up until 300V shock, and makes noises of pain when he receives shocks.

at

75V: emitted the 1st audible grunts of pain

120V: vocal protect became louder and more insistent.

150V: began to complain specifically about a heart condition

around 300V: pounded on the wall, indicating significant distress but ceasing verbal responses

after approx 330V: became silent, creating the impression that they were either unconscious or unresponsive.

=> Purpose: measure the participants’ willingness to obey authority even when they perceived they were causing harm.

Procedure: Experimenter

• mr william, 31 y.o, male, high school biology teacher, wearing grey technician coat; stern manner, impassive

• he administer an electric shock each time the learner makes a mistake

• he advised the ps to allow 5-10s before considering no responses as a wrong anwer, and to increase the shock level one step each time by pressing the a button on the shock generator.

• tells the ps to announce the voltage level before afministering each shock

• When the ps refused to continue, the experimenter instructed a series of standardised orders/prods to ensure they continued.

There are 4 standardised, scripted prods, and if one was not obeyed, then the experimenter read the next prodm and so on; in firm tone; the prods were repeated is the ps showed reluctance to continue:

1. please continue/please go on

2. the experiment requires you to continue

3. it is absolutely essential that you continue

4. you have no other choice but to continue

- is the final prods was unsuccessful/the ps stopped reading words/or have reached 450V, the study ended.

special prods if physical injury was asked about:

• although the shocks may be painful, there is no permanent tissue damage, so please go on

• whether the learner likes it or not, you must go on until he has learned all the word pairs correctly. so please go on.

Procedure: post experiment

• each participant was interviewed

• deception was fully explained

• As part of the interview, the ps was asked to estimate how painful they though the final 450V shock was, on the scale from 0-14 (not at all painful - extremely painful)

• they were given a chance to meet the learner again → assure that the learner is uninjuried.

When the ps pressed on a switch on the shock generator, there were several changes. Describe the changes

• red light illuminating

• blue light labelled ‘voltage energized’

• an electric buzzing sound

• the dial on generator swung to the right

Why Milgram study is unethical, using evidence

• the ps were deceived about the procedure (1 mark). they didnt know that they were not giving electrical shock to the learner (1 mark evidence). These led to many showed signs of anxiety and stress when giving the shocked → psychologically harmed (1 mark evidence)

• or they were given prods if they wanted to stop so they were not really allowed to withdraw (1 mark evidence)

At the start of the study, ps were told that “we know very little about the effect of punishment on learning”. describe what else each ps was told before they were assigned the role of teacher.

• we dont know how much punishment is best for learning

• this is because almost no scientific studies have been conducted on human beings

• we want to know what effect different people have on each other as teachers and learners

• we dont know how much difference it makes as to who is giving the punishment

The ps was given a “sample shock”. describe the procedure

• this was always given before the teacher began their role

• it was always 45V

• this was done by pressing 3rd switch on generator

• applied to the wrist

Describe the shocj instructions the ps was tokd to follow when the learner gave an incorrect answer.

• give a shock to learner each time they gave an incorrect response

• pressing a switch/button

• increase by 15V each time

• to say the voltage level before giving the shock level

describe the procedure the learner followed to give feedback to the ps during the learning task.

• there were predetermined responses

• ratio: 3 incorrect to 1 correct

• no vocal response up until level 300V

• when 300V given, the learner pounds on the wall; from this point on there are no answers from the learner

• the learner pounds again at 315V

• after that no pounding or answers given.

Describe the preliminary run that ps ad to complete before the regular run in this study

• the ps/teacher was given 10 words to read (to the leaner)

• three of these were neutral/ones the learners would get correct

• seven of these were incorrect answers

• → volage of 105v was administered.

Identify examples of signs of extreme tension shown by the ps

• sweat

• tremble

• bit lip

• stutter

• groan

• smiling

• full-blown seizures