Milgram revision cards

• Lab experiment

1. Stanardised procedures
2. Controlled conditions
3. No manupulation of independent variable
4. Controlled observations - uses observation to collect data - consisted of max level of shock with recorded sessions.

• 40 men, 20-50 paid $4.50
• New haven area, USA
• Mixed qualifications and occupations
• Volunteer sample

Convincing participants

• Participants went one at a time
• Suitable cover story about learning and memory - advert in the local paper
• Lottery was drawn -rigged as all of the slips said teacher on them
• The teacher (participant) saw the learner get strapped into an armchair with electrodes on the head too
• When asked if shocks were painful scientist replied 'there will be no permanent damage.'
• Each participant was given a sample shock to convince them the generator was real.

Learning task

• To match a word with another word

Shock generator

• Looked, sounded and percieved to be real, alongside 30 switched from 15 to 450volts.

Experimentor feedback

• Any refusal or questioning was met by verbal prods- 'please continue' 'the experiment requires you must continue.'

After the study

• Teachers reunited with learners and told it wasn't real and got debriefed. They were also offered 12 months of counselling.

• Participants showed signs of nervousness - sweating, shaking, heavy breathing.
• One person had a violent seizure so the study had to stop.

26/40 went up to 450 volts.

• 300 - 5 refused
• 315 - 4 refused
• 330 - 2 refused
• 345, 360, 375 - 1 refused.

Evidemce supports hypothesis.

1. Prestigous university - Yale
2. Worthy experiment
3. 'Victim' volunteered to do the study
4. Participants volunteered - obligated?
5. Paid
6. Participants unclear about rights

Strengths

• Highly controlled observation
• Mudane Realism: due to the shock generator

Weaknesses

1. Ethics

• Decieved
• Didn't give informal consent
• Right to withdraw was unclear
• Protection of participants

2. Lacks ecological validity

• Artificial setting
• Low in mudane realism

3. Demand characteristics

• Subjects may want to please experimentor

4. Un-generalisable

• No women
• No different cultures

Individuals relinquish their personal views and act in agent of somebody else's view under authority good people will do bad things.