Milgram Study

Question 1

Aim of the study

Answer 1

• to investigate what level of obedience would be shown when PPs were told by an authority figure to administer electric shocks to another person

Question 2

Research method

Answer 2

• controlled observation
• study only has a DV (dependent variable)
• NOT A LAB EXPERIMENT

Question 3

Subjects (mention 7 points)

Answer 3

• 40 participants
• males
• ages 20 to 50
• obtained by newspaper advertisement + direct mail solicitation (VOLUNTEER SAMPLING)
• paid: $4.50
• range of PPs: high school teachers, engineers, salesmen, laborers, etc
• education level: haven’t finished elementary school —-> doctorates/professional degrees

Question 4

Procedure

Answer 4

• done at Yale University
• experiment took place in lab setting designed to look like a learning/memory test environment
• when PP arrived, roles were assigned as ‘teacher’ or ‘learner’
  -learner was strapped to chair in adjacent room with electrodes attached and received shocks
• teacher was shown a shock generator with switches from 15-450V

Question 5

Sample shock (mention 4 points)

Answer 5

• 45 volts
• applied to wrist
• pressing 3rd switch
• source was 45-volt battery

Question 6

Dependent variables (DV)

Answer 6

• max shock level applied to learner by PP (0 to 30 – 15V to 450V)
• defiant & obedient participant
• occasional photos taken through one-way mirror
• notes kept on unusual behavior

Question 7

Controls (mention 10 points)

Answer 7

• standardized procedure
• learning task
• response schedule
• volt increments
• setting
• prods
• preliminary run
• sample shock
• instructions
• experimenter

Question 8

Preliminary notions

Answer 8

• 14 Yale students asked to predict how many PPs would go up to 450V
• considerable agreement between students
• estimated range = 0-3%
• class mean = 1.2%
• colleagues of Milgram felt very few would go beyond “Very Strong Shock”

Question 9

Learning task

Answer 9

• paired-associate learning task
• subject read series of word pairs to learner
• read first 1st word pair along with 4 terms

Question 10

Shock generator.

Answer 10

• 30 lever switches
• 15V to 450V
• 15-volt increment going left to right on switch
• switch increments:
  1. slight shock
  2. moderate shock
  3. strong shock
  4. very strong shock
  5. intense shock
  6. extreme intensity shock
  7. danger: severe shock

Question 11

Shock instructions

Answer 11

• subject told to administer shock to learner each time wrong response is given
• instructed to move one level higher every time wrong response is given
• instructed to announce voltage level before administering shock

Question 12

De-hoax/debriefing

Answer 12

• PPs were interviewed
• open-ended questions asked
• projective measures taken
• attitude scales given to score
• friendly reconciliation between learner + teacher

Question 13

Results (quanti)

Answer 13

• subjects were convinced of the reality of experimental situation
• potent shocks were very painful
• mode response = 14
• mean = 13.42
• 14 of 40 showed signs of nervous laughter and smiling
• 3 subjects - uncontrollable seizures

Question 14

Results (quali)

Answer 14

• post-experimental interview: “How painful to the learner were the last few shocks that you administered to him?”
• 14-point scale from “not at all painful” to “extremely painful”.
• subjects reaction = sweat, tremble, stutter, biting lip, groaning, etc
• violent seizure caused experiment to stop
• 46 yr old encyclopedia was embarrassed
• subjects said they weren’t sadistic and laughing didn’t mean they enjoyed shocking PPs

Question 15

Reliability

Answer 15

• scripts
• standardized procedure
• controls: prods, sample shock, grey coat, voltage increments, setting

Question 16

Methodological strengths & weaknesses

Answer 16

STRENGTHS:
- high reliability
- validity
- standardized procedure
- volunteer sampling

WEAKNESSES:
- low generalizability
- volunteer sampling
- low eco validity
- low mundane realism
- psychological harm
- deception
- no informed consent