WJEC A Level Psychology Social Psychology (Milgram, 1963) Exam Questions

About WJEC A Level Psychology Social Psychology (Milgram, 1963)

The social psychology study for Unit 2 Section B is Milgram (1963), 'Behavioral study of obedience'. It appears under principles of research, so although you need to know the aim, sample, procedure, findings and conclusions, questions focus on the research decisions Milgram made: his volunteer sample, the controlled lab procedure, the types of data collected and the serious ethical issues. Knowing the study well helps across the research methods content, from sampling to ethics. It also feeds into the ethical costs of conducting research controversy in Unit 3. Examiners reward precise details and evaluation tied to research principles.

What you need to know

• Aim To test how far ordinary people would obey an authority figure instructing them to give increasingly strong electric shocks to another person.
• Sample 40 men aged 20 to 50 from the New Haven area, recruited through a newspaper advert and direct mail, so a self-selected sample, and paid $4.50.
• Procedure In a lab at Yale University, the participant (teacher) gave shocks to a confederate (learner) for wrong answers on a word-pair task, using a generator labelled from 15 to 450 volts in 15 volt steps. At 300 volts the learner pounded on the wall and then fell silent. The experimenter used four standard prods.
• Findings All 40 went to 300 volts and 26 (65%) to 450 volts. Participants showed signs of strain such as sweating, trembling and nervous laughter, and three had seizures.
• Data and controls Quantitative data: the maximum voltage given. Qualitative data: observations of behaviour and post-study interviews. Standardised prods, scripts and recorded learner responses kept the procedure the same for every participant.
• Ethical issues Deception about the shocks and aim, psychological distress, and pressure that undermined the right to withdraw. Participants were debriefed and met the unharmed learner, and in a follow-up most said they were glad to have taken part.

Common mistakes in Social Psychology (Milgram, 1963)

• Confusing the figures. 100% reached 300 volts and 65% reached the maximum 450 volts.
• Saying the learner was a real participant. Mr Wallace was a confederate, and the draw for roles was rigged.
• Describing the sample as representative. It was 40 American men who volunteered, so there is gender and cultural bias.
• Forgetting that standardisation is a strength. The prods, recorded responses and scripted procedure increase reliability and allow replication.
• Claiming the study shows people are naturally cruel. Milgram concluded that situational factors, especially legitimate authority, drive obedience.

Try three Social Psychology (Milgram, 1963) exam-style questions