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Variations in Milgram's Experiment - AS/A Level Edexcel Psychology

The document discusses several variations of Milgram's obedience experiment. It describes variations where the experimenter was absent but gave instructions over the phone, where the experiment took place in a run-down office instead of Yale University, and where an ordinary person rather than an authority figure instructed participants to increase shock levels. In each variation, obedience levels decreased compared to the original study, suggesting that the physical presence and perceived authority of the instructor influenced obedience.

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33 views

Variations in Milgram's Experiment - AS/A Level Edexcel Psychology

The document discusses several variations of Milgram's obedience experiment. It describes variations where the experimenter was absent but gave instructions over the phone, where the experiment took place in a run-down office instead of Yale University, and where an ordinary person rather than an authority figure instructed participants to increase shock levels. In each variation, obedience levels decreased compared to the original study, suggesting that the physical presence and perceived authority of the instructor influenced obedience.

Uploaded by

itschrysti
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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VARIATIONS IN MILGRAM

EXPERIMENT
 In one paragraph, summarise Milgram’s basic
study.give the aim, short account of the
procedure, a statement of results and few
conclusion points.
 Milgram considered what might have affected
the participants in his basic study and then
altered the situation to see the effect. He
repeated in:
 Run down Office (experiment 10)
 Experimenter in touch by telephone

(experiment 7)
 Three teachers and 1 learner (two

confederates and one participant)


(experiment 13a)
VARIATION #7: ABSENT AUTHORITY
 In the original study, the Experimenter (Mr
Williams) sits at a desk right behind the Teacher.

In this Variation, the Experimenter gives the


participants their instructions at the start, then
leaves the Teacher alone in the room with the
shock generator and a telephone. If the Teachers
have questions or doubts, they must phone the
Experimenter. The “prods” are delivered over the
telephone.
 There was a significant drop in obedience,
down to 9 (22.5%), and some participants
gave lower shocks than they were told to do
(because they thought they were
unobserved).
 Milgram concludes that the physical presence

of an authority figure is important for


obedience.
VARIATION #10: INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT (the
"Bridgeport" Variation)

 The original study was carried out at Yale University, in rather


grand surroundings.

In this Variation, Milgram moves the study to a run-down office in


the busy town of Bridgeport. There is nothing to make the
participants link things to the University: Mr Williams claims to
work for a private research firm.

 There was a drop in obedience to 19 (45.5%), but Milgram didn’t


think this was big enough to be significant. Participants showed
more doubts and asked more questions. One of them made notes
as if they intended to make a complaint later and another one
objected that the study was “heartless”.
 Milgram concludes that the setting is not as important for
obedience as the status of the authority figure.
VARIATION #13/13a: ORDINARY AUTHORITY FIGURE

 The original study used Mr Williams as the


Experimenter, who looked severe and wore a lab coat.
In this Variation, Mr Williams explains the procedure
to the participant but then is called away. Crucially, Mr
Williams does not tell the Teachers to increase the
shock by 15V with each incorrect answer.

There is a second confederate present, who seems to


be another participant, given the job of “writing down
the times” of each test. With the Experimenter gone,
this confederate suggests “a new way of doing the
study,” taking the voltage up by 15V each time there’s
a mistake
 Only 20 participants did this Variation and
only 4 (20%) obeyed by going to 450V.
 Milgram concludes that the status of the

authority figure is important, but other


features of the situation (the instructions, the
shock generator) still create obedience.
 In Variation 13a, Milgram uses the 16 “rebel”
participants from Variation #13.
 In other words, as soon as the participants in
Variation #13 rebelled, Milgram moved into
the procedure for #13a with them. From the
participants' viewpoint, it seemed like the
same study continuing, not a new one
starting.
 The confederate suggests swapping places:
now the confederate gives the shocks and the
disobedient participant writes down the
times. The participant is now a bystander,
watching someone else deliver the shocks.
Homework

 Using the three specific variations from your
course (experiment 7, 10, 13a) , explain how
situation affects obedience,
 Why did Milgram carry on with the main

procedure and introduce the variations?


Questions :
 1.How did Milgram recruit his sample?

 2.Where was the experiment conducted? Is


this important?

 3.What did he tell the participants he was


testing teaching and learning? Why deceive
them?
 1.Where did deception occur in Milgram’s
experiment?

 2.Did the participants have the right to withdraw at


any stage of the process?

 3.Did the participants give their informed consent?

 4.Did Milgram protect his participants from physical


and psychological harm?
1.What evidence from his findings are there to
back him up for his critics?

2.What do these finding show?

3.What was unrealistic about the settings?

4.Can Milgram’s study be justified because he gave


participants an excellent debriefing?

5.Did the ends justify the means?

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