Consider whether the findings from social influence research (e.g. Asch, Milgram, Zimbardo) can justify the methods used to obtain such findings

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Consider whether the findings from social influence research (e.g. Asch, Milgram, Zimbardo) can justify the methods used to obtain such findings (18 marks)

Forty male volunteers from a self selected sample took part in a controlled observational study, which they were deceived into thinking was a test of learning. The naïve participant was always assigned the role of  ‘teacher’ and a confederate played the role of ‘learner’. A word association test was the learning task, and the naïve participant was instructed to deliver an electric shock to the learner for each incorrect answer. The teacher and the learner were in separate rooms with no voice contact. The learner sitting in another room gave mainly wrong answers and received his fake shocks in silence until they reached 300 volts. At this point he pounded on the wall and then gave no response to the next question. This was repeated at 315 volts and from then on said/did nothing. If the ‘teacher’ asked to stop, the experimenter had a set of ‘prods’ to repeat, such as saying, ‘ it is absolutely essential that you continue ’ or ‘ you have no other choice, you must go on ’.

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Milgram found that all participants gave shocks up to the 300 volt level and 65% of participants continued to the highest level, 450 volts. This contradicted the predicted results that 3% or less would reach 450 volts. There were marked effects on the naïve participants’ behaviour, with most showing signs of extreme tension. For example, they trembled, sweated, stuttered, groaned and dug their fingernails into their flesh.

There were many ethical issues raised in this study, for example the lack of informed consent, deception and debriefing. The participants were deceived about the nature of the study. Milgram told his ...

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