12 Questions
What was the fake aim presented to participants in Milgram's study?
Testing the effects of punishment on memory and learning
Why did Milgram provide a fake aim for the study?
To prevent demand characteristics
What was the percentage of participants that administered the maximum 450-volt shock?
65%
How did Milgram ensure that the actual participant would always be the teacher in the study?
By fixing the slips to say 'teacher'
What was the purpose of giving participants a 45-volt shock at the beginning of the study?
To familiarize them with the shock generator
What happened when the learner stopped responding at 315 volts in Milgram's study?
The study continued until all shocks were delivered
What was Milgram's aim in conducting the study on obedience?
To investigate if obedience was situational rather than an individual trait, similar to Germans during WWII
What is the agentic state in the context of obedience?
Serving as an agent to authority, relinquishing free will to obey
What is defined as destructive obedience in the context of Milgram's study?
Obedience resulting in harm to others knowingly
How did Milgram conduct his study on obedience?
Using a fake shock generator with varying voltage levels up to 450 volts
What was the preliminary notion experts had regarding Americans' levels of destructive obedience?
Predicted low levels of destructive obedience in a hypothetical study scenario
Why did Milgram select a diverse sample in his study on obedience?
To represent a wide range of occupational backgrounds and increase external validity
Study Notes
- Study by Milgram on obedience, part of the social approach syllabus, along with studies by Pavin and Perry
- Obedience defined as compliance with orders or requests from an authority figure
- Agentic state: Serving as an agent to authority, giving up free will to obey
- Autonomous state: Choosing to act on own free will, not being obedient to authority
- Destructive obedience: Obeying orders to cause harm to others knowingly
- Background of the study: Conducted in the 1960s, influenced by events of World War II and Adolf Hitler's authority
- Milgram's aim to investigate obedience and test if it was situational rather than individual nature like Germans during WWII
- Preliminary notion: Experts predicted low levels of destructive obedience among Americans in a hypothetical study scenario
- Aim of the study: To test obedience to authority resulting in harm to others, specifically measuring maximum shock levels administered
- Study conducted as a controlled observation at Yale University, using a fake shock generator with varying voltage levels up to 450 volts
- Sample: 40 male participants aged 20 to 50, diverse occupational backgrounds, postgraduates selected over undergraduates- Participants in the study consisted of 38% skilled and unskilled workers, 40% white-collar workers, and 22% professional workers, showing a diverse occupational background.
- The study had a small sample size of 40 participants, limiting the generalizability of the findings.
- Participants were recruited through a volunteer sample, with an ad placed by Milgram offering $4.50 for participation, ensuring specific eligibility criteria.
- The study used deception by providing a fake aim to avoid demand characteristics, aiming to test levels of destructive obedience.
- The fake aim mentioned testing the effects of punishment on memory and learning, while the actual aim was to observe obedience to authority figures in administering electric shocks.
- Participants were told they would be paid even if they didn't complete the study, preventing the influence of money on their decision to continue.
- The study involved a word pair task where one participant (teacher) administered electric shocks to another (learner) for incorrect answers, believing it would enhance memory.
- Roles of teacher and learner were allocated randomly, but in reality, both slips said "teacher," ensuring the actual participant would always be the teacher.
- The learner (a stooge) was strapped to an electric chair, with electrodes connected to a shock generator, creating a realistic but fake setup.
- To reinforce the realism, participants were given a 45-volt shock to test the machine, leading them to overestimate its intensity (75-100 volts), highlighting the perceived severity of the shocks.- Participants were made to believe they were administering electric shocks to a learner in a study on obedience.
- The learner was actually a confederate, and the shocks were not real.
- The learner was instructed to give incorrect responses intentionally to allow participants to administer electric shocks and follow a protocol.
- The shock levels increased with each incorrect response, reaching 105 volts after seven wrong answers.
- Participants were urged to continue giving shocks through verbal prods in case they hesitated or refused.
- The experiment involved deception, including pre-recorded responses from the confederate to standardize the procedure.
- At 300 volts, the confederate would simulate extreme pain by pounding on the wall.
- At 315 volts, the learner stopped responding altogether.
- Participants were debriefed at the end of the study to alleviate any stress or psychological harm caused by the experiment.
- The study revealed that 65% of participants administered the maximum 450-volt shock despite initial predictions of only 1.2% compliance.
- Qualitative data was gathered through observations and recordings of participant behavior and emotional responses during the study.
Explore Milgram's Obedience Study on compliance with authority, distinguishing between agentic and autonomous states, and the concept of destructive obedience resulting in harm to others. Learn about the background, aims, methodology, and ethical considerations of the study conducted at Yale University.
Make Your Own Quizzes and Flashcards
Convert your notes into interactive study material.
Get started for free
