Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Social Psychology
- People in Authority
- Milgram (1963)
- Aim
- Investigate the process of obedience.
- Demonstrate the power of a legitimate
authority despite any destructive or immoral
behaviour they have been asked to complete
- Design
- Controlled Observation (in a laboratory)
- Self-Report Study
- Not an experiment - no IV
- Sample
- 40 ppts
- Chosen out of 500 volunteers
- All men
- Aged 20 - 50
- Self-Selected Sample
- Biology teacher dressed in a
technician's coat - experimenter
- Learner - 47-year-old accountant
trained for the role
- Both actors were accomplices
of Milgram (Confederates)
- Materials
- Shock generator - no strong shocks
were administers in the observation
- Procedure
- Received $4.50 for participating.
- Ppt played role of teacher who administered
"shocks" that increased after each incorrect
answer to a question
- The PPT or (T) experienced a 45 Volt shock to
show an example of what the L would experience
- In order to deter any hesitation observed from the T, the E
would deliver statements such as:
- "The experiment requires that
you continue"
- "You have no choice you must continue"
- Once voltage reached 300V L pounded on the wall
and ask to stop receiving the shocks
- This stopped at 315V to imply they had severe/fatal
damage
- Results
- Quantitative
- 100% gave shocks up to 300V
- 12.5% (5) stopped at 300V
- 4 stopped at 315V
- 2 stopped at 330V
- 1 stopped at 345V
- 1 stopped at 360V
- 1 stopped at 375V
- 65% continued until the end 450V
- 14/40 were disobedient due to
eventual refusal to obey orders
- Qualitative
- Signs of nervousness
- Sweat
- Trembling
- Stuttering
- Biting lips
- Groaning
- Dug their fingernails into their flesh
- 3 experienced uncontrollable seizures
- Stopped the trial in one case
- Ppt comments:
- "He's banging in there"
- "I'm gonna chicken out"
- "I'd like to continue but I can't do that to a man"
- "I'll hurt his head"
- "You take your [money]"
- Conclusion
- People are surprisingly
obedient to authority
- The power of the situation in
obedience is stronger than
dispositional facotrs
- Evaluative Points
- Research Methods
- Strength
- Variables are easier to control (shock levels)
- Weakness
- Demand characteristics
- May realise shocks are not real
- Ethnocentrism
- Only looked at America
- Individualist culture may have different attitudes to helping others
- Validity
- Ethnocentricity limits the validity of the study
- Some of the data collective was subjective - specifically the
reactions related to the statements the E would use to encourage
the T to continue may force them to continue regardless of their
view.
- People only obey authority that they can identify with
- Sampling Bias
- Strength
- Range of occupations and educational backgrounds
- Representative of the target population