Obedience: Milgram's research

Procedure

• Participants gave fake electric shocks to a 'learner' in obedience to instructions from the 'experimenter'.

Findings

• 65% gave highest shock of 450v.
• 100% gave high shocks up to 300v.
• Many showed signs of anxiety.

Low internal validity

• Participants realised shocks were fake.
• But replication with real shocks got similar results.

Good external validity

• Findings generalise to other situations such as hospital wards.

Supporting replication

• Game of death found 80% gave maximum shock plus similar behaviour to Milgram's participants.

Evaluation extra

• An alternative explanation-Social identity theory
• Ethical issues