Milgram

Question 1

What is obedience?

Answer 1

Performing an action under the direct order of an authority figure.

Question 2

What is destructive obedience?

Answer 2

Obedience that may cause psychological or physical harm to another person.

Question 2

What are white-collar workers?

Answer 2

Individuals working in professional occupations rather than manual labour.

Question 3

What is a confederate in research?

Answer 3

A person instructed by the researcher to act in a certain way in the study.

Question 4

What are social roles?

Answer 4

Behaviour patterns expected from individuals as members of social groups.

Question 5

What is social pressure?

Answer 5

Influence exerted by individuals or groups on another person or group.

Question 5

What two forms can social pressure take?

Answer 5

Conforming to expectations and obeying authority figures.

Question 5

Why is obedience important in society?

Answer 5

It maintains organised systems that allow people to live and work together.

Question 5

What negative outcome can obedience lead to?

Answer 5

Aggression or destructive obedience.

Question 5

What was the “Germans are different” hypothesis?

Answer 5

The idea that Germans possessed personality traits that caused extreme obedience.

Question 5

What explanation did Milgram propose instead?

Answer 5

A situational explanation for obedience.

Question 5

What is the situational hypothesis?

Answer 5

Behaviour explained by social processes in the situation rather than personality traits.

Question 5

What was the overall aim of Milgram’s study?

Answer 5

To investigate how obedient individuals are to authority.

Question 5

What was the specific aim of the study?

Answer 5

To determine whether people would obey orders to harm another person using shocks.

Question 5

What research method was used?

Answer 5

Controlled observation in a laboratory setting.

Question 6

How was obedience measured?

Answer 6

By the maximum voltage shock administered.

Question 6

What additional behavioural data were recorded?

Answer 6

Body language, verbal comments, and unusual reactions.

Question 6

How many participants were used?

Answer 6

40 participants.

Question 6

What were the characteristics of the participants?

Answer 6

Males aged 20-50 from the New Haven area.

Question 6

What sampling method was used?

Answer 6

Volunteer sampling via advertisements and mail.

Question 6

How much were participants paid?

Answer 6

$4.50.

Question 7

What role did the real participant always receive?

Answer 7

Teacher.

Question 8

Who played the learner?

Answer 8

A trained confederate.

Question 9

What task did participants perform?

Answer 9

A paired-associate learning task.

Question 10

What were participants instructed to do after each wrong answer?

Answer 10

Deliver a shock and increase the voltage by 15 volts.

Question 11

What was the range of the shock generator?

Answer 11

15 volts to 450 volts.

Question 12

What happened at 300 volts?

Answer 12

The learner banged on the wall.

Question 12

What did the experimenter instruct participants to do when the learner stopped responding?

Answer 12

Treat it as a wrong answer and continue shocking.

Question 13

What were the four standard prods used?

Answer 13

"Please continue", "The experiment requires that you continue", "It is absolutely essential that you continue", "You have no other choice, you must go on."

Question 14

What percentage of participants gave the maximum 450V shock?

Answer 14

65%.

Question 15

What was the mean shock level administered?

Answer 15

368 volts.

Question 16

How many participants administered at least 300 volts?

Answer 16

All participants.

Question 17

What signs of stress were observed?

Answer 17

Sweating, trembling, nervous laughter, and seizures.

Question 18

What did participants believe about the shocks?

Answer 18

They believed the shocks were real and painful.

Question 19

What was Milgram's main conclusion about obedience?

Answer 19

People are far more obedient to authority than expected.

Question 20

What psychological conflict did participants experience?

Answer 20

Conflict between obeying authority and avoiding harm to others..

Question 21

What factors increased obedience in the study?

Answer 21

Authority legitimacy, university setting, experimenter's uniform, and perceived obligation.

Question 22

Why was generalisability limited?

Answer 22

All participants were male and from one area.

Question 23

Why was the study considered reliable?

Answer 23

The procedure was highly standardised and controlled.

Question 24

Why was ecological validity low?

Answer 24

The laboratory setting and shock task were artificial.

Question 25

What ethical issue involved deception?

Answer 25

Participants were misled about the true aim and reality of shocks.

Question 26

What ethical issue involved psychological harm?

Answer 26

Participants experienced extreme stress and distress.

Question 27

How did the study change understanding of the Holocaust?

Answer 27

It showed situational factors can produce destructive obedience in ordinary people.

Question 28

What real-world policy example relates to Milgram's findings?