Summary
1.1C People in Groups Summary Problem 6
- Course
- Institution
This is a summary of the literature for Problem 6 of course 1.1C People in Groups.
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
elenakuhn
Content preview
Problem 61. What were the results of the Milgram experiment and would the result be
different if it were conducted today?
Milgram Experiment (1963)
• Subjects: 40 males
• Subject (teacher), confederate = victim (learner) & experimenter
• Subject did not know that victim was a confederate & thought he had been chosen as learner by
chance
• Subject asked victim questions & wrong answers would result in electric shock caused by the
subject (electric shocks were not real)
• Electric shock increases by the number of wrong answers & range from 15v. (Slight Shock) to
450v. (Severe Shock)
• Confederate started screaming at 300v-level
• Experimenter told subject to go on if he wanted to stop
• Experiment seemed self-assured
• Subject showed symptoms of stress (trembling, groaned bit their lips, dug fingernails into flesh,
seizures) → made sure subjects left experiment in a state of well-being by arranging reconciliation
between confederate & subject
• Results:
o 65 % administered the full 450v.
o Everyone resisted at some point
o No one broke off before 300v. (confederate started screaming at that level)
o No difference between men & women
• Explanations:
o Subject entered the experiment voluntarily → feels obligated to aid the experimenter
o Role of the learner was assigned under fair means (by chance)
→ under conditions of pressure from an authority, the majority of people will obey although they are not force
to
Would the results be different today?
Replicated study by Burger (2009)
• Tested 70 men & women in the U.S.
• 70% were obedient
• With confederate who refused → still 63,3 %
Study by Meeus & Raaijmakers (1995)
• Participants should cause psychological harm by making harassing remarks about confederate
• Told them it was part of a job interview of the confederate
o Confederate needed to pass the test in order to get the job
• Confederate ask participant to stop & became angry & later on despaired
• 92 % of participants continued after experimenter told them to go on
Study by Dolinski et al. (2015)
• Replicated Milgram study but had only 10 different shock steps (10 buttons)
• Conducted study in Poland (interesting to see if history & current political situation had an
impact)
• Wanted to see if the sex of the learner has an impact
o Participants 40 women & 40 men
, • Results:
o 90% pressed all 10 buttons
o When the learner was a women, the participants were 3 times more likely to stop
(sample size is to small to confirm theory)
→ there is no significant difference between today & Milgram’s findings
→ people are still obedient to the same extend
2. When do people decide to obey authorities, what are the causes &
consequences of obedience? (situational & personal factors, the appearance
authoritative figure)
Obedience
• Behaviour change produced by the commands of authority
Factors
• Immediacy of the victim
o How close or obvious is the victim to the participant?
o Milgram trial: confederate was in the same room as subject
§ Obedience dropped to 40%
o Milgram trial: subject set next to the confederate & pressed hand of confederate down
on a shock plate
§ Refused after 150v
§ 30% continued after getting an insulted glove
o Milgram trial: confederate shouts & bangs against the wall
§ Reduced obedience slightly to 62,5 % who obeyed to 450v-level
→ obedience decreases as immediacy increases
→ immediacy prevents dehumanisation of the victim & makes it easier to show empathy
→ social norms become accessible again
• Immediacy of the authority figure
o Milgram trial: experimenter gave instructions over the phone
§ 25 % stopped as soon as confederate requested release (150v)
§ 20% continued to 450v
→ obedience decreases as the authority figure’s influence decreases with distance
→ obedience norm has no influence anymore
• Legitimacy of the authority figure
o Experimenter was wearing lab-coat which made him look professional
o Experimenter seemed self-assured so subject was convinced he knows what he is doing
§ Appearance of the experimenter leads subject to trust his judgment
§ Seventh trial: experiment was moved to an office building (no professional
environment compared to university)
• Obedience dropped to 48%
→ professional appearance & location lets people trust in experimenter’s decisions
o Experiment by Bickman (1974)
§ Stopped pedestrians on the street & ordered them to do something unusual
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller elenakuhn. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $3.76. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
67096 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now