Obedience: Milgram's Research

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Obedience: Milgram's Research
- Milgram 1963 sought to answer the question of why the German population had followed the orders of Hitler in the Holocaust.
40 male ppts through newspaper ads and flyers in the post.
Aged 20-50.
Offered $4.50 to take part.
Confederate Mr Wallace always ended up as the learner, while true ppt was the teacher.
Learner strapped in a chair in another room and wired w/electrodes.
- Procedure
  - Experimenter - dressed in a lab coat, played by an actor. Ppts told they could leave at any time.
  - Teacher required to give learner increased severe electric shock each time learner made mistake.
  - Experimenter used 4 prods to teacher: 'please go on', 'experiment requires you continue', 'essential you continue', 'you have no other choice'.
  - Ad said he was looking for ppts for study on memory.
Shock level started at 15 and rose through 30 levels of 450 volts. When teacher got to 300 volts, learner pounded the wall and gave no response to next q.
65% continued to highest level of 450 volts.
Ppts showed signs of extreme tension, trembling, groaning, 3 ppts had full blown uncontrollable seizures.
- FINDINGS
- No ppt stopped below 300 volts. 12.5% (5 ppts) stopped at 300 volts.
All ppts debriefed - assured behaviour was normal
84% glad they participated.

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