Milgram

Methodology

Conducted in a labratory envrionment so the conditions could be well-ceontrolled
Not an experiment

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Participants

Placed an advertisment in a New Haven newspaper
He selected 40 males aged between 20 and 50 years
Led to participants believing they were taking part in research about memory and learning
Men in the sample had a range of jobs, from postal clerk to enginee

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Procedure

Took place at Yale University
Greeted by the experiementer - a 31 year old man dressed in a grey technician's coat
Another 'particpant' was at the lab who was a mild-mannered and likeable 47 year old accountant Mr Wallace
Both were accomplices of Milgram

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Picking Process

Participants drew slips of paper to decide which of them would play the role of the teacher or the learned
Selection process was rigged to assign the participant the teacher and the confederate the learner role

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Separated

Learner and teacher were taken to the experimental room
Leaner was strapped into an 'eletrical chair' apparatus to prevent excessive movement
An electrode wah placed on the learner's wrist linked to a shock generator in the adjoining room

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The Shock Machine

Teacher was in the adjoining room and seated in front of the shock generator
Large machin with 30 swtiches on it showing the incremental rise in voltage starting at 15 volts and going up to 450 volts
Every four switches there was a 'shock' label starting

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The Learning Task

The teacher was told to administer a shock when the learner gave a wrong answer
Escalate to a higher level of shock each time
Annoucing the shock level each time
Learner could not comment or protest until the shock level of 300 volts was reached
At this p

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Feedback from Experimentor

Trained to give a sequence of four standard prods if teacher hesitated
'Please continue', 'The experiment requires you to continue', 'it is absolutely essential that you continue', 'you have no other choice, you must go on'
Special prod - 'although shocks

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Dehoax

The teacher was thoroughly 'dehoaxed' debriefed
Reunited with learner
Interviewed about their experience in the study

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Findings Quantitative Data

Before he surveyed 14 Yale psychology students. Estimated that 0-3% of the participants would administer 450 volts
A large majority continued to the highest level
300 volts - 5 (12.5%) of the participants refused to continue at which the learner made the

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Findings Qualitative Data

Subjects showed nervousness
Large number showed extreme tension 'subjects observed to sweat, tremble, stutter, bit their lips, groan and dig their finger-nails into their flesh'
14 displayed 'nervous laughter and smiling' Remarks and outward behaviour ind

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Conclusions

In the circumstances that the participants were found in that amalgamated to create a situation in which it proved difficult to disobey
Suggested 13 elements in this situation that had contributed to these leveles of Obedience

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Element 1

Location of the study at a prestihous university provided authority

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Element 2

Participants assumed that the experimenter knew what he was doing
Had worthy purpose so they should follow

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Element 3

The participant did not wish to disrupt the study because he felt under obligation to the experimenter due to his voluntary consent to take part

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Element 4

Novel situation for the participant, who therefore didn't know how to behave
Possibe to discuss the situation with others the participant might have behaved differently

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Element 5

Had very little time to resolve the conflict at 300 volts
Did not know the victim would remain silent for the rest of the experiment

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Element 6

Conflict was between two deeply ingrained tendencies
Not to harm somone and to obey thosse whom we percieve to be legitimate authorities

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Orne and Holland (1968)

Claims it lacks internal validity
Participants did not believe the electric shocks were real
Would not make sense that someone in a learning experiment would recieve fatal shocks
Participants behaved as they were expected to behave due to the demand chara

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Gina Perry (2012)

After reading through the archives she found participants knew they weren't hurting anyone
In the follow up questionnaire the participants said they were suspicious - experimenter remained calm

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Milgram (1974)

Reported the 75% of the participants strongly believed they were giving electric shocks

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Baumrind (1964)

Claimed Milgram caused psychological damage to his participants that could not be justified

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Milgram's Defense

He did not know prior to the study the level of distress that would be caused
Considered ending the study when he observed the participants' behaviour, but decided there was no indication of injurious effects
Milgram 1974
Third (84%) of the participants

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Perry 2012

Argued the Milgram failed in his duty of care for participants
Some were waiting up to a year to be debriefed despite the fact that they had left the lab believing they had killed somone

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Get Revising

Milgram

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