Milgrams research

Procedure

40 american males volunteered to take part in a study supposedly about memory

When each volunteer arrived at the lab they were introduced to another participant (confederate)

They drew to see who would be the teacher and the learner- it was fixed so that the participant was always the teacher

An experimenter was also involved (confederate dressed in a lab coat)

Study aimed to see obedience in a situation where an authority figure ordered the participant to give an increasingly strong shock to a learner located in a different room (15v to 450v)

Shocks were fake

Findings

Every participant delivered 300 volts

12.5 percent of participants stopped at 300 volts

65 percent continued to the highest level 450 volts

Collected qualitative data including observations such as participants showing signs of extreme tension, many of them were seen to sweat or tremble

Other data

Before the study milgram asked 14 psyhcology students to predict the participants behaviour

Students estimated that no more than 3 percent of the participants would continue to 450 volts

Shows findings were unexpected

All participants were debriefed and assured that their behaviour was normal

Also sent a follow up questionnaire - 84 percent said they were glad to have participated

Conclusions

Concluded that german people are not different

American participants in his study were willing to obey orders even when they might harm another person

Suggested that there were certain factors in the situation that encouraged obedience