Psychology – AS Level core studies | e-Consult
AS Level core studies (1 questions)
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The Milgram study used a laboratory experiment to isolate the variable of authority pressure on obedience. Key aspects of experimental control included:
- Random assignment of participants to the role of “teacher”.
- Standardised instructions and shock generator to ensure consistent stimulus across participants.
- Use of a confederate (the “learner”) who never actually received shocks, allowing the independent variable (authority commands) to be manipulated without ethical harm to a real victim.
- Control of extraneous variables such as room setting, timing, and the presence of an experimenter to reduce alternative explanations.
These controls enabled Milgram to infer a causal relationship between authority presence and obedience levels.