Core Study APFCE
Aims
(include hypotheses and research questions if relevant)
To investigate:
- Level of obedience given to authority figures when ppts are asked to administer a potentially lethal electric shock to another person
Hypothesis:
Destructive obedience is dispositional and is exclusive to Germans [Nazi Germany and Holocaust] due to a certain characteristic of their people group.
Procedure
(include method and sample)
Sample:
- 40 ppts
- Male
- 20 to 50 years old
- From Connecticut
- Range of occupations and education (unskilled workers and professionals)
- VOLUNTEER SAMPLE
*restricted sample*
Experimenter:
Man in white coat.
Learner:
Confederate paired with a ppt (always the teacher).
Method:
1. BRIEFING
- ppt told that the study was INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF PUNISHMENT ON LEARNING (no scientific studies on humans that show how much
punishment is best for learning and who should punish students).
- number of adults of different ages and occupations and some will be asked to be a learner or teacher.
2. Experimenter introduced ppt to “other ppt known as the learner” who was actually a CONFEDERATE.
3. “Drew lots to see who was the learner and who was the teacher” but the PPT WOULD ALWAYS BE THE TEACHER AS THE CONFEDERATE IS
ALREADY THE LEARNER.
4. Ppt sees “learner” being taken into a room - strapped into equipment – told shocks won’t cause permanent harm – PPT GIVEN REAL MILD ELECTRIC SHOCK
so that he knows the shock generator works [makes it more real].
5. Confederate “connected to electric shock generator” and ppt taken into adjoining room.
6. PPT ASKS CONFEDERATE QUESTIONS AND “ADMINISTERS INCREASINGLY STRONG ELECTRIC SHOCKS EVERY WRONG QUESTION”.
7. TAPE RECORDING played every time “shock” administered [shouting, screaming, wall pounding and silence after 315V].
8. Ppt asked to stop => EXPERIMENTER HAD TO PROVIDE 4 VERBAL PRODS to try and get the ppt to continue.
-“Please continue.”
-“The experiment requires you to continue.”
-“It is absolutely essential that you continue.”
-“You have no other choice; you must go on.”
9. Experiment ended when PPT STILL REFUSED AFTER 4 PRODS or AFTER THEY REACHED MAX 450V.
10. DE-BRIEFING
- interview and de-hoax procedure.
- asked to rate on a 14 point scale how painful they thought the shocks were (14 the most painful).
- PPT MET CONFEDERATE TO REASSURE THEM NO HARM WAS DONE.
- further questions allowed.
Aims
(include hypotheses and research questions if relevant)
To investigate:
- Level of obedience given to authority figures when ppts are asked to administer a potentially lethal electric shock to another person
Hypothesis:
Destructive obedience is dispositional and is exclusive to Germans [Nazi Germany and Holocaust] due to a certain characteristic of their people group.
Procedure
(include method and sample)
Sample:
- 40 ppts
- Male
- 20 to 50 years old
- From Connecticut
- Range of occupations and education (unskilled workers and professionals)
- VOLUNTEER SAMPLE
*restricted sample*
Experimenter:
Man in white coat.
Learner:
Confederate paired with a ppt (always the teacher).
Method:
1. BRIEFING
- ppt told that the study was INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF PUNISHMENT ON LEARNING (no scientific studies on humans that show how much
punishment is best for learning and who should punish students).
- number of adults of different ages and occupations and some will be asked to be a learner or teacher.
2. Experimenter introduced ppt to “other ppt known as the learner” who was actually a CONFEDERATE.
3. “Drew lots to see who was the learner and who was the teacher” but the PPT WOULD ALWAYS BE THE TEACHER AS THE CONFEDERATE IS
ALREADY THE LEARNER.
4. Ppt sees “learner” being taken into a room - strapped into equipment – told shocks won’t cause permanent harm – PPT GIVEN REAL MILD ELECTRIC SHOCK
so that he knows the shock generator works [makes it more real].
5. Confederate “connected to electric shock generator” and ppt taken into adjoining room.
6. PPT ASKS CONFEDERATE QUESTIONS AND “ADMINISTERS INCREASINGLY STRONG ELECTRIC SHOCKS EVERY WRONG QUESTION”.
7. TAPE RECORDING played every time “shock” administered [shouting, screaming, wall pounding and silence after 315V].
8. Ppt asked to stop => EXPERIMENTER HAD TO PROVIDE 4 VERBAL PRODS to try and get the ppt to continue.
-“Please continue.”
-“The experiment requires you to continue.”
-“It is absolutely essential that you continue.”
-“You have no other choice; you must go on.”
9. Experiment ended when PPT STILL REFUSED AFTER 4 PRODS or AFTER THEY REACHED MAX 450V.
10. DE-BRIEFING
- interview and de-hoax procedure.
- asked to rate on a 14 point scale how painful they thought the shocks were (14 the most painful).
- PPT MET CONFEDERATE TO REASSURE THEM NO HARM WAS DONE.
- further questions allowed.
