Milgram (obedience)

Milgram (obedience).

• Milgram, S (1963), Behavioral Study of Obedience. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67(4): 371-78.
• The study by Milgram investigated the conflict between obedience to authority and personal conscience and how far a person would go in obeying an instruction if it meant harming another person. This includes considering dispositional and situational hypotheses. A laboratory setting was used to measure obedience, described as a 'dependent variable' but there was no independent variable in the main study. The study used observations and an interview as techniques.
• Please Note: Milgram conducted many variations on this study. This study did not provide the 'teacher' with voice-feedback from the 'victim'.
• The psychology being investigated includes: obedience; social pressure.

This matters because milgram (obedience) determines what can be inferred or chosen; begin with the stated conditions and keep the conclusion tied to the evidence.

Example: apply milgram (obedience) to one small, clearly defined case, show the key step or comparison, and explain the result in words.

Boundary: Milgram (obedience) is not a universal recommendation. Check the syllabus scope, assumptions, units and the limits of the evidence before generalising.