Social Psychology

Milgram (obedience) -1963 Behavioural Study of Obedience

Aim What level of obedience would be shown when participants were told by an authority figure to administer electric shocks to another person that has the potential to kill them.

LocationPsychology Lab in Yale University

Participants  - 40 males aged between 20 and 50 years of age, were recruited from the New Haven area . - They were self selected as they responded to a newspaper article that asked volunteers to  particpate in an experiment for $4 an hour. They were also told that they would get this money regardless of what happens in the study. - Participants represented a whole range of occupations including  postal clerks, high-school teachers, salesmen, engineers and labourers. - The experimenter/observer was played  31-year-old biology teacher, who introduced himself as Jack Williams. He wore a  technician's coat and appeared stern and emotionless throughout the experiment.  - The victim/learner was played by Mr Wallace, a 47-year-old accountant, trained for the role, whom most observers found mild-mannered and likeable. 

Said by the Experimenter/Observer Prod 1:  Please continue or Please go on Prod 2:  The experiment requires that you continue Prod 3:  It is absolutely essential that you continue Prod 4:  You have no other choice, you must go on

Method Milgram created a realistic but harmless shock generator which in the 1960s looked very impressive and real. The shock generator had 30 switches marked clearly in 15 volt increments from 15 to 450 volts. -To improve the authenticity of the phoney shock generator written labels were also clearly indicated for groups of four switches: slight shock, moderate shock, strong shock, very strong shock, intense shock, extreme intensity shock, danger: severe shock. Two switches after this were marked XXX).  - The generator also had flashy lights, buzzers and moving dials and could give a 45 shock. - One participant and one victim (a confederate) were used in each trial. In order to justify the administration of the electric shocks by the participant a cover story was used. - The participant was asked to draw a slip of paper from a hat to determine which role he would play. The draw was fixed so the participant was always the teacher and Mr. Wallace  was always the learner.  -The teacher (participant) and learner were taken to an adjacent room and in full view of the teacher (participant) the learner was strapped into the electric chair. The experimenter explained to the teacher (participant) that the straps were to prevent excessive movement while the learner was being shocked; the effect was to make it impossible for him to escape the situation. An electrode was attached to the learners wrist. -To further enhance the authenticity of the generator the participant (teacher) was given a sample shock of 45 volts, applied by pressing the third switch. The shock generator was actually powered by a 45-volt battery and not wired to the mains. -The participant (teacher) was then seated in an adjacent room in front of the shock generator. The learner was asked to learn (memorise) these pairs that the teacher (participant) says. The participant (teacher) then tests the learner by giving him one of the words in a pair along with four other words. The learner has to indicate which of the four words had originally been paired with the first word. The learner?s answer was communicated by pressing one of four switches which illuminated a light on top of the shock generator. - If the answer was correct the participant (teacher) had to move onto the next word on the list, if the answer was wrong the participant had to tell the learner the correct answer and then the level of punishment that they were going to give them. They would then press the first switch on the shock generator (15 volts). For every subsequent incorrect answer the participant was required to move one switch up the scale of shocks (15 volts higher than the voltage of the last shock delivered). -In this experiment, the procedure continued as the remote victim experiment, whereby no vocal response or other sign of protest was heard from the learner until the shock level of 300 volts was reached.  - At this point the learner (Mr Wallace) pounded on the wall of the room and could be heard by the participant (teacher). From this point on, the learners answers no longer appeared on the panel, and many participants usually began to turn to the experimenter for guidance. The participant (teacher) was instructed to treat the absence of a response as a wrong answer and to shock the learner according to the usual schedule, allowing 5 to 10 seconds before considering no response as a wrong answer. The pounding on the wall was repeated after the 315 volt shock but subsequently the learner was not heard from, and his answers did not reappear on the panel.  - The prods were always made in sequence. Only if Prod 1 was unsuccessful could Prod 2 be used, etc. If the participant continued to disobey after Prod 4, the experiment was terminated. The experimenters tone of voice was always firm, but not impolite.  -If the participant asked if the learner could suffer permanent physical injury, a special prod was used; although the shocks may be painful, there is no permanent tissue damage, so please go on, followed by Prods 2, 3 and 4 if necessary.  - If the participant said that the learner did not want to go on, another special prod was used; whether the learner likes it or not, you must go on until he has learned all the word pairs correctly, so please go on, followed by Prods 2, 3 and 4 if necessary. The experiment would end either when the 450 volt shock had been administered, or when the participant walked out. 

Milgram (obedience)