ocial

sychology

Let's look at some of the questions raised by Milgram's original investigation.

a. Is such blind obedience to authority a distinctly American characteristic?---Milgram's baseline procedure has been replicated in West Germany, Jordan, and Australia. These three studies obtained results that were similar to Milgram's findings. Thus, obedience to unjust authority can be demonstrated in a variety of cultures.

b. Does the "teacher" enjoy shocking the "learner?"---The "teacher" was allowed to set the voltage in a variation of the Milgram baseline procedure. The average setting was only 50 volts. If the "teachers" were enjoying the pain that they were causing, we would expect the average setting to be considerably higher.

c. How does the status of the authority figure affect obedience?---In a variation on the baseline procedure, the experimenter receives an urgent phone call. He turns the running of the task over to another subject (actually a volunteer). The new "experimenter" devises the plan of raising the level of shock with every mistake. Only 20% of the subjects gave the entire 450 volts. Apparently, the status of the authority figure was an important factor in determining the level of shock that was administered.

d. Was the personality of the "learner" a factor in determining the level of shock that was administered?---In the original Milgram study the "learner" was affable and pudgy and the experimenter was lean and serious. An investigation was performed in which the personalities of the "learner" and experimenter were reversed. Fifty rather than 63% of the subjects gave the maximum voltage. It appears that the personality of the victim had an effect on the amount of shock delivered. However, the victim's personality was a factor of a minor rather than major importance.

e. Were the personalities of the maximally obedient and maximally rebellious subjects different?---Elms and Milgram (1966) gave a series of personality tests to both groups of subjects. No significant differences were found.

f. What do most people feel is the moral action in the study?---Milgram (1977) asked undergraduates how one should act in the study. All thought the moral response was to disobey. On the average they placed the level at which one should disobey at 150 volts.

g. Would most people expect the results that Milgram obtained?---The Milgram baseline procedure was described to laymen, college students, behavioral scientists, and psychiatrists. They were asked how many volts they thought would be administered. The predictions of the four groups were similar; an average of approximately 140 volts would be given. An average of 360 volts was given in the actual study.

h. Why is the outcome of the Milgram investigation surprising?---Perhaps because many of us have a rather simple notion of the relationship between moral judgment and morally relevant behavior. We believe that if a person knows what is right he or she will act rightly if they are motivated to do so.
 

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