Notes for the social psychology unit of the Edexcel specification. The document includes all studies and theories for the unit, along with evaluation points for each. There are notes for all points on the specification and in theory - everything you need to know for the exam!
Contents:
● Milgram’s classic study
● Milgram’s variation studies
● Ethics in Milgram’s study
● Agency theory
● Social impact theory
● Factors affecting obedience
● Social identity theory
● Realistic conflict theory
● Factors affecting prejudice
● Sherif et al - classic study
● Burger - contemporary study
● Key question
● Practical investigation
● Individual differences
● Developmental psychology
● Research methods:
○ Self-reporting data
○ Sample selection and techniques
○ Quantitative and qualitative data
○ BPS ethical guidelines
,Milgram’s classic study
Aim: To investigate how far people would go in obeying an instruction given by an authority figure if it
involved harming another person.
Procedure:
● The sample consisted of 40 volunteers → white men aged 20-50
● Participants are asked to pick out of a hat, to find out if they would be the ‘teacher’ or ‘learner’
● This was rigged and the participant was always made the ‘teacher’
● The ‘learner’ had to learn a list of paired words, and if they got the answer wrong when being
tested by the ‘teacher’ from the other room, they would be given an electric shock.
● The shocks ranged from 15V to 450V and increased with every wrong answer.
● The sample sock was 45V.
● An audio of the ‘learner’ screaming would be played to them after each shock, until eventually
they would stop responding.
● The experimenter would instruct the ‘teacher’ to continue administering the electric shocks until
they completed the task, sometimes using prods such as ‘it is absolutely essential that you
continue’.
● The experiment ended when either the participant had administered the highest shock (450V) or
kept protesting after the experimenter ran out of prods.
● The experimenter then informed the participant that the ‘learner’ was never shocked.
Findings:
● All the participants continued up to deliver shocks up to 300V
● 65% of participants delivered the maximum 450V shock
● 14/40 participants showed nervous laughter
● 3/40 participants had seizures
Conclusion:
● Most people would harm others as long as they are being instructed by an authority figure.
● Obedience to authority is ingrained in most people.
A03
1. High levels of control
The researcher, the instructions given to the confederate, the prods used and the shock machine
used were all the same throughout the experimental trials.
, Therefore, this suggests that the participants obeyed due to the experiment’s procedure,
demonstrating a cause effect relationship between authority and obedience.
2. Low mundane realism
The task of being told to shock another person is unlike everyday examples of obedience, such as
being told to take the bins out by a parent.
Therefore, the findings of obedience demonstrated in these shocking tasks might not be
applicable to explaining obedience or defiance in real life.
● To see whether the proximity of the experimenter would affect obedience.
Procedure:
● After giving the first instructions, the experimenters left the room and communicated with the
participant through a phone.
Findings:
● Level of obedience dropped to 22.5%.
strength weakness
Research support → Sedikides and Jackson found Low mundane realism → The task of being told
that the further away the authority figure was (zoo to shock another person like in the experiment
keeper), the less likely the guests were to obey is unlike everyday examples of obedience, such
their instructions to not lean on the zoo railing. This as being told to throw out the trash by a parent.
shows Milgram’s findings on how proximity affects So, the findings may not be applicable to
obedience also applies to realistic situations. obedience or defiance in real life tasks.
● To see whether the legitimacy of the environment would affect obedience.
Procedure:
● The experiment was set up in a less prestigious commercial building and run by an unknown
organisation. The 3-room office suite was sparsely furnished.
Findings:
● Level of obedience dropped to 48%.
strength weakness
High level of control → all the conditions and events in Low mundane realism → The task of being
the study were kept the same as the original study: told to shock another person like in the
prods given, recorded voice lines from the learner, experiment is unlike everyday examples of
shock machine. The only difference was the less obedience, such as being told to throw out
legitimate environment, establishing a cause and the trash by a parent. So, the findings may
effect between lower levels of obedience and a less not be applicable to obedience or defiance in
legitimate environment. real life tasks.
Experiment 13 → ordinary man (authority legitimacy)
Aim:
● To see whether legitimacy of authority would affect obedience.
Procedure:
● There was 1 learner, 1 experimenter, 1 recorder and 1 participant (teacher).
● The learner, experimenter and recorder were all confederates.
● The experimenter in a lab coat leaves the room and indicates that the experiment should
continue.
, ● The recorder tells the participant that they should increase the shock level every time the
learner gets a wrong answer, even though the experimenter did not instruct this.
Findings:
● Level of obedience dropped to 20%
strength weakness
Research support → Sedikides and Jackson’s zoo study Low mundane realism → The task of
found when the experimenter wore a zoo keeper's being told to shock another person like in
uniform, participants would follow their instructions the experiment is unlike everyday
more than when he wore his own clothing. This suggests examples of obedience, such as being told
that the decrease in obedience was due to the lesser to throw out the trash by a parent. So, the
authority the ordinary man has, showing a cause and findings may not be applicable to
effect relationship between decreased authority and obedience or defiance in real life tasks.
decreased obedience.
Ethics in Milgram’s study
Confidentiality The identities of the participants were kept anonymous. The data collected was
also anonymised.
Right to withdraw While Milgram did offer for the participants to leave the study, it could be argued
that this right was infringed upon as the experimenters kept prodding the
participants to continue the shocks.
Informed consent Participants were only told that they were doing an experiment on memory. As
such they could not have given full informed consent.
Debriefing Milgram fully debriefed his participants after the study and informed them that
their decisions were not abnormal. He also took steps to help the participants
reconcile with the learners. 83.7% of them were happy that they took part in the
experiment.
Protection from Participants may have been extremely stressed, because they believed that they
harm were actually administering shocks to another person.
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