A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

In Milgram's experiment, how did the learner react as the voltage increased?

1. The learner remained quiet throughout

2. The learner laughed and encouraged the shocks

3. The learner began to beg and physically react

4. The learner answered questions confidently

The correct answer is: The learner began to beg and physically react

In Milgram's experiment, as the voltage increased, the learner, who was actually an accomplice of the experimenter, began to show very clear signs of distress. At lower levels of shock, the learner would initially respond with correct answers but as the shocks escalated, the reactions became increasingly severe. The learner started to beg for the shocks to stop, expressing pain and discomfort vocally, and exhibited physical responses such as grimacing or yelling. This increment in distress was critical to the study as it tested the willingness of participants to inflict pain on another person under the directive of an authority figure, which resulted in extensive discussions about obedience and ethical implications in psychological experiments.