Research Methods
This study (Milgram or Piliavin) uses a highly controlled setting, which improves internal validity. Identify the study and explain why.
Milgram because the laboratory setting allowed strict control over variables (experimenter behavior, shock generator, learner responses), improving internal validity.
A participant hesitates during Milgram’s procedure but continues after the experimenter says “The experiment requires that you continue.” Which psychological concept explains this behavior? Don't think too hard
Obedience to authority.
Identify one ethical issue in Milgram related to participants’ emotional well‑being.
Psychological harm — participants showed seizures, trembling, sweating, and severe distress.
In Milgram, what % of participants reached 450 volts
65% reached 450 volts
Which study has the highest ecological validity and why
Piliavin, it occurred in a real subway environment with spontaneous helping behavior.
Which study has lower ecological validity because the task participants performed is not realistic, and why does this matter for generalization?
Milgram, Milgram’s electric shock task isn’t something people ever do in real life, so even though obedience was high in the lab, we cannot know whether people would obey at the same level in real-world settings. That limits generalization.
A drunk man collapses in a busy mall but receives little help. Which Piliavin finding best explains this, and why?
Piliavin found the drunk victim received less help because people perceive them as responsible for their state and riskier to help.
Why is informed consent considered an ethical concern in Piliavin? Do not think too hard
Participants did not know they were in a study, meaning no informed consent and possible emotional distress.
Piliavin found that the "cane victim" was helped in 65 seconds on average, while the "drunk victim" took longer. What does this imply about social judgments?
People help those perceived as blameless (ill) more quickly than those viewed as responsible for their situation (drunk).
Which one would you consider your favorite study
Any study
Identify the sampling method used in Piliavin
Opportunity sampling (passengers on the subway).
A student who slept only four hours performs poorly on a memory quiz. Apply Perry’s results to explain why
Working memory and attention decline when sleep‑deprived; the student’s cognitive load exceeds capacity.
Perry’s sleep‑deprivation study involves harming participants’ cognition. Explain why this creates a conflict with ethical guidelines.
Sleep deprivation harms cognitive functioning and mood, violating protection from harm and potentially affecting daily safety.
Which study found no evidence of diffusion of responsibility?
Piliavin
How does conducting the Piliavin study in a naturalistic subway environment affect external validity?
Naturalistic setting increases external validity, allowing more generalizable helping behavior compared to lab simulations.
In Milgram, explain how the use of standardized prods contributes to reliability.
Standardized prods ensure every participant receives identical instructions, increasing reliability through consistency.
A manager wearing a formal uniform gives an order to employees who immediately comply. Apply Milgram’s findings to explain this behavior.
Like Milgram’s uniformed experimenter, the manager’s uniform increases perceived authority, increasing compliance.
Which study provided a more complete debriefing, Milgram or Piliavin, and why?
Milgram — he gave a full debrief and followed up long‑term.
Piliavin had no debrief because passengers did not know a study had occurred.
Perry found that reaction times slowed significantly after sleep loss. Explain what this indicates about cognitive processes.
Slowed reaction times indicate sleep loss impairs speed of processing and reduces cognitive efficiency.
Evaluate the use of volunteers in Milgram’s study in terms of sampling bias.
Volunteer samples attract a certain type of person (e.g., more willing, compliant), creating bias and limiting generalizability.
Compare how qualitative and quantitative data are used differently
Compare how situational factors influence behavior differently in Milgram vs. Piliavin.
Evaluate which of the three studies presents the greatest ethical conflict and justify your choice with two reasons.
Milgram generally presents the greatest ethical conflict:
Free Question with answer am I gonna pass my AICE exam (the answer is yes)
Yes
Perry’s study uses laboratory controls; explain one strength and one weakness of this design in terms of validity.
Strength: High control increases internal validity (accurate cause‑and‑effect).
Weakness: Artificial tasks lower ecological validity (not like real‑world cognitive functioning).