Obedience

Milgram – Obedience study:

Carried out at yale university.

40 Male P’s recruited via a newspaper advert.

The experimenter and learner were confederates.

P’s were told to administer electric shocks to the learner if they answered incorrectly.

It was predicted that less that 1% would continue past 240v.

Lab experiment.

Results:

All P’s went up to 300v.

65% went all the way to 450v.

Most P’s were stressed and wanted to stop but continued when prompted by the experimenter. Majority

Evaluation:

Cons:

Ethics – P's deceived could not give fully informed consent. P’s got very stressed so exposed to psychological harm.

Lacks validity.

Unlike any situation experienced in real life.

Conclusion:

Under certain conditions most people will obey orders form an authority figure.

Most actions can be largely explained by pressures to obey an authority figure.

Most people are told to obey authority figures without question from an early age.

Orne & Holland - Evaluation:

Said the experiment lacks validity.

P’s probably didn't believe the shocks were real.

P’s should have asked why which proves demand characteristics were at play.

Mandel - Evaluation:

Milgram's research provides an Alibi for those charged with war crimes.

This is offensive to people who survived the Holocaust.