A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

In Milgram's experiment, who acted as the learner?

1. The experimenter himself

2. A real volunteer

3. A confederate

4. Another participant

The correct answer is: A confederate

In Milgram's experiment, the role of the learner was filled by a confederate, who was in on the experiment with the researchers but pretended to be another participant. This structure was crucial because it allowed the study to investigate the phenomenon of obedience without putting any real participants at risk of harm. The confederate would provide predetermined responses to the shock administered by the actual participant, thereby creating the illusion of actual learning and punishment. Using a confederate was essential for maintaining the integrity of the experiment. It allowed the researchers to control the variables effectively and ensure that any obedience exhibited by real participants could be attributed to the situational factors present in the study rather than the responses of a genuine learner. The confederate was trained to react convincingly to the shocks, which provided the necessary emotional tension and ethical boundaries for the actual participant carrying out the role of the teacher. This design helped highlight key findings about the psychological mechanisms underpinning obedience to authority figures, which was the main focus of Milgram's work.