Summary of studies for Paper 1
Study Design Participants Aim Procedure Findings Conclusion Strengths Limitations
Milgram Independent groups, 40 men aged The One 65% Ordinary Standardised Pps may have
(1963) lab experiment 20-50 years experiment experiment administere Americans procedure, only obeyed as
32-33 old, from studied (confederate), d 450v. are obedient meaning they did not
New Haven. obedience to one learner 100% to legitimate every believe that
authority, (confederate), continued to authority, participant the shocks
Volunteered exploring one teacher 300v, 12.5% even when had the were real. This
sampling whether (participant). dropped out those orders exact same lowers the
from local individuals at that conflict with experience. internal
newspaper. would obey Teacher would point. their own Tight script, validity of the
Pps offered instructions administer 15v moral same actors. findings
$4.50 for to harm shocks up to Pps beliefs.
participation. another 450v every trembled, Real life
person time the sweat,35% application
because an learner made a had nervous to improve
authority mistake on laughter. 3 pilot training.
figure told word recall pps had Training first
them to. task. uncontrollab officers to
le seizures. challenge
Learner and authority, so
teacher were mistakes by
in diff rooms captains
but could hear don’t
the fake endanger
screams. lives.
Experimenter
used
standardised
prompts to
urge p to
continue.
Milgram Lab experiment To test 40 male Experimenter 22.5% Proximity of Milgram Demand
Variation 7 whether participants gave orders obeyed authority is collected characteristics
34-35 Experimenter leaves physical via the phone crucial quantitative reduced → but
room and gives presence of Volunteer when they left Some and still artificial
instructions via authority sample the room. P participants Physical qualitative context
telephone affects lied on the cheated absence data in form.
obedience. phone to the (gave lower weakens Audio Ethical issues
experimenter shocks than obedience recording or remain
, about their instructed) and dialogue (deception,
actions. increases between stress)
autonomy researcher
and pps.
Helped gain
a deeper
insight.
Milgram Lab experiment , 40 male To Study moved 47.5% Decreases High Participants
Variation Same procedure as participants investigate from Yale to obeyed when external may still
10 baseline (fake shocks, whether industrial site (compared authority validity as assume
34-35 learner + Recruited via prestige of called to 65% loses subsequent legitimacy
experimenter) volunteer location Bridgeport. P baseline) legitimacy research has despite poor
Location changed from sampling affects were told the replicated setting
Yale University → run- (newspaper obedience. study was Institutional the findings.
down office building in advert) being run by a prestige
Bridgeport private firm. (e.g. Yale)
increases
The building perceived
was sparsely authority
furnished.
Milgram To investigate whether Lab 20 The p is with 2 20% obeyed Obedience Strong Lacks internal
Variation people obey authority experiment participants confederates depends on internal validity. Due to
13 symbols or just any (smaller instead of one. 80% refused legitimate validity → ‘derived
34-35 individual giving Experimenter sample than One is to continue authority, isolates authority’ as
orders replaced by a baseline) assigned when an not just authority the
confederate learner, one is ‘ordinary social legitimacy experimenter
“ordinary Volunteer assigned role man’ gave pressure who had
participant” sample of recording orders Supports initially
times. Uniform/ theory of described the
Confederate status is key agentic state study left. This
instructs The to authority (people obey suggests that
teacher to experimenter perception recognised obedience may
continue has to leave authority) be even lower
shocks and the in situations
confederate where the
recording has person giving
to fill in to be orders is
the completely
experimenter. unrelated to
any authority
Study Design Participants Aim Procedure Findings Conclusion Strengths Limitations
Milgram Independent groups, 40 men aged The One 65% Ordinary Standardised Pps may have
(1963) lab experiment 20-50 years experiment experiment administere Americans procedure, only obeyed as
32-33 old, from studied (confederate), d 450v. are obedient meaning they did not
New Haven. obedience to one learner 100% to legitimate every believe that
authority, (confederate), continued to authority, participant the shocks
Volunteered exploring one teacher 300v, 12.5% even when had the were real. This
sampling whether (participant). dropped out those orders exact same lowers the
from local individuals at that conflict with experience. internal
newspaper. would obey Teacher would point. their own Tight script, validity of the
Pps offered instructions administer 15v moral same actors. findings
$4.50 for to harm shocks up to Pps beliefs.
participation. another 450v every trembled, Real life
person time the sweat,35% application
because an learner made a had nervous to improve
authority mistake on laughter. 3 pilot training.
figure told word recall pps had Training first
them to. task. uncontrollab officers to
le seizures. challenge
Learner and authority, so
teacher were mistakes by
in diff rooms captains
but could hear don’t
the fake endanger
screams. lives.
Experimenter
used
standardised
prompts to
urge p to
continue.
Milgram Lab experiment To test 40 male Experimenter 22.5% Proximity of Milgram Demand
Variation 7 whether participants gave orders obeyed authority is collected characteristics
34-35 Experimenter leaves physical via the phone crucial quantitative reduced → but
room and gives presence of Volunteer when they left Some and still artificial
instructions via authority sample the room. P participants Physical qualitative context
telephone affects lied on the cheated absence data in form.
obedience. phone to the (gave lower weakens Audio Ethical issues
experimenter shocks than obedience recording or remain
, about their instructed) and dialogue (deception,
actions. increases between stress)
autonomy researcher
and pps.
Helped gain
a deeper
insight.
Milgram Lab experiment , 40 male To Study moved 47.5% Decreases High Participants
Variation Same procedure as participants investigate from Yale to obeyed when external may still
10 baseline (fake shocks, whether industrial site (compared authority validity as assume
34-35 learner + Recruited via prestige of called to 65% loses subsequent legitimacy
experimenter) volunteer location Bridgeport. P baseline) legitimacy research has despite poor
Location changed from sampling affects were told the replicated setting
Yale University → run- (newspaper obedience. study was Institutional the findings.
down office building in advert) being run by a prestige
Bridgeport private firm. (e.g. Yale)
increases
The building perceived
was sparsely authority
furnished.
Milgram To investigate whether Lab 20 The p is with 2 20% obeyed Obedience Strong Lacks internal
Variation people obey authority experiment participants confederates depends on internal validity. Due to
13 symbols or just any (smaller instead of one. 80% refused legitimate validity → ‘derived
34-35 individual giving Experimenter sample than One is to continue authority, isolates authority’ as
orders replaced by a baseline) assigned when an not just authority the
confederate learner, one is ‘ordinary social legitimacy experimenter
“ordinary Volunteer assigned role man’ gave pressure who had
participant” sample of recording orders Supports initially
times. Uniform/ theory of described the
Confederate status is key agentic state study left. This
instructs The to authority (people obey suggests that
teacher to experimenter perception recognised obedience may
continue has to leave authority) be even lower
shocks and the in situations
confederate where the
recording has person giving
to fill in to be orders is
the completely
experimenter. unrelated to
any authority
