Milgram Laboratory experiment
Background
● Destructive obedience -The instruction to cause harm to
another person
● Attribution- our explanation for what caused an event or
behavior
● Dispositional theory- when we believe that an event or
behavior is caused by some internal factor e.g. personality
(internal attribution)
Situational theory- when we believe that an event or behavior
is caused by external factors e.g environment
(external attribution)
● As a member of a European Jewish family Milgram was
affected by atrocities done by Nazi Germany during the
holocaust against Jewish people
● Milgram was interested how Ordinary People displayed
destructive obedience that led to the murder of jews
Idea Milgram was interested in
, ● The dispositional theory: something about the German culture
or personality led to high levels of conformity and obedience
needed for genocide to take place
The psychology being investigated:
● Obedience- When we behave in a certain way in responds to
the demands of an authority figure
● Social pressure-a direct influence on how we feel and behave
result: For example, in Milgram, a total of 65%participants was
classified as obedient when administering shocks to Mr.
Wallace
Other definitions
● Agency theory: when they are two psychological states in a
place
● Agentic state- the presence of authority figure causing person
to change their personality
● Autonomous state- when we act on our own free will e.g to be
obedient or not
● Milgram believed from a young age we are socialized to be
obedient to authority figures as we experience moral strain
● Moral strain- going with demands from authority figures even
though it's wrong
Background
● Destructive obedience -The instruction to cause harm to
another person
● Attribution- our explanation for what caused an event or
behavior
● Dispositional theory- when we believe that an event or
behavior is caused by some internal factor e.g. personality
(internal attribution)
Situational theory- when we believe that an event or behavior
is caused by external factors e.g environment
(external attribution)
● As a member of a European Jewish family Milgram was
affected by atrocities done by Nazi Germany during the
holocaust against Jewish people
● Milgram was interested how Ordinary People displayed
destructive obedience that led to the murder of jews
Idea Milgram was interested in
, ● The dispositional theory: something about the German culture
or personality led to high levels of conformity and obedience
needed for genocide to take place
The psychology being investigated:
● Obedience- When we behave in a certain way in responds to
the demands of an authority figure
● Social pressure-a direct influence on how we feel and behave
result: For example, in Milgram, a total of 65%participants was
classified as obedient when administering shocks to Mr.
Wallace
Other definitions
● Agency theory: when they are two psychological states in a
place
● Agentic state- the presence of authority figure causing person
to change their personality
● Autonomous state- when we act on our own free will e.g to be
obedient or not
● Milgram believed from a young age we are socialized to be
obedient to authority figures as we experience moral strain
● Moral strain- going with demands from authority figures even
though it's wrong
