Milgram Obedience Experiments - Key Terms (Vocabulary)

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the key concepts and terms from Milgram’s obedience experiments as described in the notes.

Milgram obedience experiment

A 1960s social psychology study by Stanley Milgram in which participants (teachers) were instructed to administer electric shocks to a learner under the guidance of an authority figure, to explore obedience and the roots of atrocities like the Holocaust.

Authority figure

A person perceived as having legitimate power who directs others to act; in Milgram’s study, typically a man in a white coat urging continued shocks.

Learner

The recipient of the shocks in the setup; in Milgram’s experiment, the learner was actually an actor.

Teacher

The participant who administers shocks to the learner according to the experimenter’s instructions.

Electric shock

The punitive stimulus used in the experiment, with voltage increased after each incorrect answer; many participants believed the shocks could be fatal.

Prods

The standard prompts used by the experimenter to urge continued participation (e.g., 'Please continue', 'The experiment requires you to continue').

Separation by screen

The teacher and learner were separated by a screen or wall, increasing psychological distance and affecting obedience.

Two-thirds

Approximately two-thirds (about 66%) of participants were willing to administer potentially fatal shocks when urged by an authority figure.

White coat

A symbol of scientific/medical authority that boosts the perceived legitimacy of instructions and obedience.

Deception

Participants were misled about the study’s purpose and the reality of the shocks; the learner was an actor, and the shocks were not real.

Decent American citizens

Milgram’s phrase describing ordinary American citizens who could commit acts against their conscience under authority.

Holocaust

The genocide carried out by the Nazis, referenced to illustrate the real-world consequences of obedience to authority.