Milgram (1963): Behavioural study of obedience
Key Words
Obedience
Agency Theory
Authority Figure
Confederates
Situational factors
Background During WW2, millions of innocent people were killed on command by the Nazis during Hilter’s regime. We are socialised to obey certain people who are seen as
legitimate authority figures. This extreme example of obedience to an authority figure highlights the atrocities’ that can occur when people simply follow orders. This
example of obedience highlighted the ability of people to move into an agentic state, recognising the need to obey and giving up their own free will to become an
agent to authority. Events such as the WW2 prompted the ‘Germans are different’ hypothesis, stating that Germans have a deficit which means that they have a
readiness to obey people in authority regardless of the act that they are asked to carry out, prompting Milgram to conduct research to test his hypothesis through
the use of American men.
Aim To investigate levels of obedience shown when asked to administer electric shocks to another person.
Sample 40 males
Aged 20-50
From New Haven area
Volunteer sampling: in response to a newspaper and direct mail advertisement for a study on memory and learning, paid $4.50
Apparatus Shock generator
Burn/blister cream
White lab coat
Research Method Controlled Observation (There is no clear IV or DV)
Procedure The study took place in a lab at Yale University, a confederate (Mr Wallace) and the participant drew lots for the role of ‘teacher’ and ‘learner’, whereby the
participant was always the teacher. The confederate ‘learner’ was then strapped to an electric chair, with an electrode attached to the wrist and cream applied to
prevent blisters. To enhance authenticity the teacher was given a sample shock of 45 volts. The teacher then conducted a word pair task, whereby the learner would
select a word to match the paired word from the teacher, by pressing one of 4 buttons. If the answer was incorrect the teacher would shock the learner, increasing
by 15 volts each time. If the participant indicated he didn’t wish to continue administering shocks, the experimenter (Jack Williams, dressed in a white lab coat)
would respond with standardised prods such as “please continue”. Participants who administered all electric shocks up to 450v were classed as obedient, those who
stopped before 450v were classed as disobedient. Participants were observed behind a one-way mirror by the experimenter and other observers to record their
responses. At the end participants were fully debriefed and reunited with the victim.
Results Quantitative:
All 40 participants obeyed up to 300 volts
65% of participants obeyed whereas 35% disobeyed
Qualitative:
Participants showed signs of nervousness and tension e.g. sweating, trembling, 14 participants had nervous laughing fits
“No I don’t want to go on, this is crazy”
Conclusion There is no such thing as an obedient type and in the wrong situation we all enter an agentic state, obeying orders of an authority figure.
German’s are not different, situational factors led to rates of obedience and the situation we are in could cause anybody to act in the same way.
Evaluation Sample
+ Representative of German soldiers (different occupations)
-Participants only from one area (New Haven)
Sampling Bias
-Volunteer sampling, increased risk of demand characteristics as were paid
Data
+ Qualitative descriptions of behaviour increased insight
+ Quantitative results allow for objective measures of obedience (scientific)
Ethics
+ Debriefed participants afterwards
-Deception (two false aims, role allocation, shocks were real etc.)
-R2W (Ppts felt obliged to stay as were being paid, standardised prods used when they asked to leave)
Ecological Validity
-Too extreme to be realistic, conducted in a lab at Yale
+ Ppts believed shocks were real, therefore showed genuine reaction
Snapshot
+ Easy to compare obedient behaviour of 40 males
-Can’t track development of obedience
Research Method: Controlled Observation
+ High control of EVs, so increased internal validity
+ Highly standardised, so increased internal reliability
-Risk of demand characteristics
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