What was the hypothesis being tested in the Milgram experiment? What were the dependent and independent variables? How was the hypothesis tested?

As a Social psychologist, Stanley Milgram was particularly
interested in the affects of interaction on behavior. Interestingly, this experiment was
born to test the limits of people's compliance and obedience under conditions of
potentially extreme cognitive dissonance, and authority. Essentially, Milgram wanted to
understand, how far would people obey orders given from an authority figure, under
circumstances that contradicted their beliefs. This was his
hypothesis.

It is important to note that this experiment
was conducted with four variations. Overall, each variation involved the same basic
test. Respondents, or "Teachers", were told that the effect of punishments on learning
ability were being testing. "Learners", or test subjects, were to be shocked when they
have an incorrect answer to a question. "Teachers" were also told to treat silence as an
incorrect response. With each incorrect response, the degree of shock administered was
to increase based on a set of levers ranging from 75 volts, or minimal shock, to 450
volts or, XXX.

With each variation of the experiment, the
independent and dependent variables changed slightly, as the experiment varied. Please
see a brief description of the independent variables through each variation of the
experiment, and how they were tested.

Experiment
Variation I:

Independent Variable: Immediate
proximity to authority.

Test: Respondents or "Teachers"
were in a room with the authority figure, they could see the test subject, and were
nudged along with statements like,

The experiment requires
you to continue.

Experiment Variation
II:

Independent Varaible: Rebellious interveners
(This variation tested rather introducing people who questioned authority, would change
the obedience of others.)

Test: Respondents were kept
together in a room, and some individuals who fit the category of rebellious or questions
authority, were kept amongst a group of average responders. The test was to see how many
people would follow the rebellion and not comply with the
experiment. 

Experiment Variation
III:

Independent Variable: Proximity to Learner
(This variation tested rather being in the room with the test subject would change the
obedience level.)

Test: Respondents were in the same room
with the learner, they could not see the authority, and were forced to place the
learner's hand on the shock plate, and administer the
shock.

Experiment Variation
IV:

Independent Varaibale: Perception of
authority (This variation tested how each responder's idea of the authority figure,
changed the level of obedience.)

Test: Responder's were
paired with lesser authorities and told to administer shocks to the learner. This could
have been two responder pairings, or a lab tech and a
responder.