Milgram experiment Study Guide

📖 Core Concepts Obedience to authority – the tendency to follow orders from a perceived legitimate source, even when actions conflict with personal morals. Agentic state – a mental state in which a person sees themselves as the agent of the authority, shifting responsibility away from themselves. Conformity (Asch) – compliance that occurs because individuals look to a reference group for cues on how to behave when they lack expertise. Legitimacy of the setting – the perceived scientific or institutional credibility that boosts obedience. 📌 Must Remember 65 % of original participants administered the maximum 450 V shock. 100 % delivered at least 300 V. Predicted max‑shock rates: psychology students ≈ 1 %, psychiatrists ≈ 0.1 %. Major contextual determinants (higher → more obedience): Teacher close to authority figure. Learner out‑of‑sight or distant. Prestigious university setting. Major contextual determinants (lower → less obedience): Teacher close to learner (≈ 40 % obey). Authority gives orders by telephone (≈ 21 % obey). Presence of confederate peers who refuse (only 4 % obey). Burger (2006/2008) replication: stopped at 150 V, still ≈ 61 % obeyed. Ethical legacy: spurred modern informed‑consent, right to withdraw, and mandatory debriefing standards. 🔄 Key Processes Participant assignment – “teacher” role, told to test learning. Shock schedule – increase by 15 V for each wrong answer (15 V → 450 V). Authority instruction – experimenter in lab coat orders “continue” despite protests. Learner feedback – pre‑recorded protests (no real shocks). Participant response – most question once, then comply; stress signs appear. Debrief – original study gave limited debrief; later studies (Burger) provided full debrief and stopped at 150 V. 🔍 Key Comparisons Distance Variation vs Proximity to Authority: Teacher‑learner distance ↑ → obedience ↑ (up to 65 %). Teacher‑authority distance ↑ → obedience ↓ (phone condition 21 %). Original Milgram vs Burger Replication: Max shock 450 V vs 150 V. Obedience 65 % vs ≈ 61 % → robustness despite lower voltage. Agentic State Theory vs Conformity Theory: Agentic: obedience = “I’m just the instrument.” Conformity: obedience = “I follow the group’s hierarchy.” ⚠️ Common Misunderstandings “Milgram proved Nazis were just following orders.” – The lab participants knew no lethal harm, lacked ideological bias; scholars argue the analogy is limited. “All participants were emotionally harmed.” – Post‑study surveys showed 84 % felt glad to have participated; long‑term harm remains disputed. “Obedience rates are always 65 %.” – Across replications rates vary 28 %–91 %; context matters. “Only men obey.” – Gender variation showed similar overall rates, with females reporting higher stress. 🧠 Mental Models / Intuition “Switch‑off the responsibility dial.” – Imagine a light‑switch that, when flipped, transfers blame from you to the authority; this is the agentic state. “Authority as a safety net.” – When the setting feels “official,” the brain treats the authority’s orders as a shield against personal guilt. 🚩 Exceptions & Edge Cases Phone instruction → obedience drops to ≈ 21 %. Learner present in same room → obedience falls to ≈ 40 %. Two confederate peers refusing → only 4 % of 40 participants obey. Non‑academic locations (e.g., ordinary office) → obedience ≈ 47.5 %. 📍 When to Use Which Explain high obedience → use Agentic State Theory (focus on responsibility shift). Explain influence of group norms → use Conformity Theory (reference group hierarchy). Predict obedience in a new setting → check: Proximity to authority (closer = higher). Legitimacy of venue (prestigious = higher). Presence of dissenting peers (more dissent = lower). Choose ethical guidelines for a modern replication → follow Burger protocol (max 150 V, stop at distress, full debrief). 👀 Patterns to Recognize Stress cue cascade: sweating → trembling → stuttering → lip‑biting → nervous laughter → (rare) seizures. Question‑then‑obey: every participant asks at least once before continuing. Obedience curve: steep rise after 150 V; plateau around 300 V; small additional increase to 450 V. Contextual dip: whenever a social ally (confederate) refuses, compliance sharply collapses. 🗂️ Exam Traps Distractor: “Only 10 % of participants delivered the maximum shock.” – Wrong; the correct figure is ≈ 65 %. Distractor: “Obedience is highest when the learner is in the same room.” – Opposite; proximity to learner lowers obedience. Distractor: “Milgram’s study met all ethical standards of its time.” – Contested; it sparked major ethical reforms. Distractor: “Gender differences eliminated obedience.” – No; overall rates similar, but stress reports differed. Distractor: “The experiment proved that people cannot act morally under any circumstance.” – Over‑generalization; the study shows situational influence, not absolute incapacity.