Sigmund conducted a laboratory experiment to find out whether obedience to an authority figure changes based on the status of the person giving orders. He used an empty classroom in his local university to conduct his experiment.
He selected 60 participants (30 male and 30 female) from volunteers who answered an advert he placed in a local newspaper. Sigmund allocated 15 males and 15 females to each of the experimental conditions.
- In Condition A participants were instructed to delete the contents of a laptop computer by a man wearing a business suit.
- In Condition B participants were instructed to delete the contents of a laptop computer by a man in casual clothing.
Sigmund recorded how many participants deleted the contents of the laptop computer in each condition.