Signs of extreme tension

shown (sweat, tremble,

stutter, lip biting), 3 had 'full- Milgram referred to behaviour of German SS
blown seizures' officers in WW2. Suggested that people who
obeyed immoral orders were as guilty as those Sample: Advertised in newspaper and direct mailing for men to
26/40 went all the way who gave orders, and American men wouldn't take part in a study on memory and learning at Yale. Each paid
have obeyed $4 and travelling expenses. Final participants were 40 men
Results Background between 20-50 years with various occupations. Two more
participants: experimenter (a biology teacher) and 'learner' (47
Design: Controlled observation. year old accountant, Mr Wallace )
No IV or a non-naturalistic
22.5% (9) went to 315V observation
Procedure: When participants arrived, told that experiment
looked at how punishment affects learning. Each participant
Inhumane acts can be done
drew lots with Mr Wallace to see who was teacher and who was
by ordinary people learner. Mr Wallace was always learner. Learner strapped to
Tell a Story Method chair in next room with shock machine. Teacher given sample
shock to make it seem real. Teacher read out pairs of words and Milgram investigated the key theme of response to people in
Conclusions learner had to say which of 4 words was correct. When learner authority using scripted prods given to the participant. In
People will obey others whom they wrong, he got a shock by teacher. These went from 15V to 450V. Milgram's study, he used a man in a lab coat pretending to be
consider legitimate authority figures Learner had a recorded script with mostly wrong answers and the experimenter. If at any point the participant said or showed
Milgram's study is low in population validity due to the distress responses. signs that they wanted to leave, the 'experimenter' would use the
contents of the sample. This meaning that the sample even if what they are asked to do
given prods (e.g. "Please go on"/"Please continue") to test if the
is not representative of the wider target population. goes against their moral beliefs
participant would obey and continue or disobey and refuse to
For example, Milgram's study only used men in the continue. All 40 participants went to at least 300 volts and 26/40 This area of research led to an understanding of
experiment, which is not representative of the wider Individual differences reached the top level of 450 volts. This shows that 65% of terrible historical events such as the holocaust
population influence the extent to which participants fully obeyed whilst 35% eventually disobeyed and how individuals may be led to behave in
people will be obedient How does Milgram relate to the key theme of
ways they would never predict they would. This
Milgram's study is high in external validity as all methods response to people in authority? How contemporary study
has led to the idea that all individuals are
of measurement are clearly stated. This means it will be changes understanding of susceptible; if they are asked by a figure in
individual, social and cultural Individual
easy to replicate the study in exactly the same way and Validity authority, to gradually carry out terrible acts
therefore easier to establish consistency in the results diversity
over time. For example, all responses were the same in
Core Studies in their Pairs they would previously have said were
inconceivable. Bocchiaro et al found similar
every and were specified
results and extended the evidence to include
Social female behaviour along with male behaviour
How does the study relate to the area
Cultural
Both pieces of research highlight the need
Social approach because the results show how pressure How the studies are similar for society to question authority further as
Bocchiaro furthered Milgram's ethnocentric
form another person could lead people to administer research and showed that obedience is high obedience levels in both studies were seen
potentially fatal electric shocks to another individual and cross-culturally as well as the importance of to be high. The contemporary study,
how they could be led to do this in spite of their evident considering individual explanations Bocchiaro et al, uses students so may be
discomfort. Included because of the importance of its alongside situational ones. The limited in its ability to explain how different
subject matter and because of the way in which it groups in society may behave but does look
contemporary study also showed that
inspired so much other research in the area of at a different part of society to Milgram who
obedience was similar over time and
obedience. Furthermore, Milgram emphasised situational studied volunteers with a range of
rather than individual explanations research in this area suggests that people
are inherently obedient occupations

Milgram - Evaluation
Research methods/techniques

One strength of using a controlled observation

research method is that it reduces demand
characteristics. In Milgram's study, a confederate and
a man in a lab coat acting as the 'experimenter' and
created an experiment where the participant believed Types of data
the purpose of the study was memory and learning,
while it was actually response to people in authority. One weakness of collecting quantitative data is that One weakness of using quantitative data is that
This showed how Milgram reduced demand in Milgram's study it makes comparison between the conclusions can be difficult to draw due to the lack of
characteristics by making he participants believe the number of people who stopped at certain volts information given in the results. While Milgram's study
nature of the study was something that was no the true easier. When collecting the results of when shows when participants stopped administering shocks,
nature participants stopped administering shocks, these it doesn't give an reasons as to why the participants
were recorded by how many people stopped at each stopped when they did, meaning conclusions drawn from
volt. This makes it easier to compare results in a the data are limited
One weakness of using a controlled observation research
method is that there is low ecological validity. In Milgram's study, statistical way
the setting was a lab setting and, because the environment was
controlled, it did not replicate a real life scenario, therefore is low
in ecological validity.