01:830:321 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Conscientiousness, Fundamental Attribution Error, Milgram Experiment

• School: Rutgers University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: 01:830:321
• Professor: S.Kilianski

Document Summary

Milgram tested obedience to authority by having a subject (assigned to role of teacher ) shock a learner (his confederate) with increasingly stronger shocks for errors. The confederate first complains, then screams, then ceases responding. Shock generator goes up to 450 volts (extreme danger) All of the subjects genuinely believed that they were administering shocks to the learner. At 150 volts, the learner first says that he has a heart condition and he refuses to. Subjects were middle-aged men continue (verbal protest, all pre-recorded) 450 volts, while over 60% of subjects did for real. External attribution for ss behavior - once you cease to take responsibility for your actions, there is no right or wrong anymore - i didn"t stop because you made me continue , actions are externally attributed to authority figure. Power of situation (arendt"s banality of evil ) Varying the conditions - increasing or decreasing compliance.