Obedience study - Milgram (1963)

Local ad, male volunteers, 40 participants selected, range of backgrounds + occupations, 20-50 years old

Told taking part in "memory + learning" study + invited to attend at Yale psych lab

Introduced individually to experimenter in white coat + middle aged man (told to be another volunteer), Mr Wallace. Volunteer + Mr Wallace drew lots to see who would be teacher + who would be learner, but rigged so RV always teacher.

Placed in room w/ shock generator + real participant who was teacher instructed to apply shocks of increasing levels when learner answered q wrong. RV given shock of 45v to convince of authenticity. Mr Wallace strapped to chair in room next door. Voltage from 15-450v.

Learner in truth received no shocks, instructed to give incorrect answers. Played varied recorded responses of pain. 150v, learner would protest + refuse to take part in study, complained of heart problems. 315v scream loudly, 330v upwards, did not respond.

If teacher objected or displayed resistance to continue, given series of verbal "prods" by experimenter to continue

65% participants gave max shock of 450v. 100% went to at least 300v. Only 5 participants stopped administering shocks at 300v.

Some participants began to show signs of distress eg laughing nervously or sweating, while others showed no signs of distress, focusing only on administering shocks.

Some argued w/experimenter, however continued to obey.

Prior to carrying out experiment, M asked psychiatrists, students + other colleages to predict how far participants would go. Majority opinion only 1 in every 1000 people would go beyond 150v.