Employment in psychology varies greatly depending on factors such as the degree held, specialty area, and employment sector. While nearly 4 out of 10 psychologists are self-employed, a large number of professionals also work in school, government, and other private settings.

Find more information and statistics about the employment of psychologists.

The January issue of American Psychologist features a new study that replicated Milgram's classic obedience experiment. In Milgram's original experiments conducted during the 1960s, participants were asked to deliver electrical shocks to a "learner" whenever an incorrect answer was given. In reality, the learner was actually a confederate in the experiment who pretended to be shocked.

The purpose of the experiment was to determine how far people were willing to go in order to obey the commands of an authority figure. Milgram found that 65% of participants were willing to deliver the maximum level of shocks despite the fact that the learner seemed to be in serious distress or even unconscious.

Recently, Jerry Burger, a psychology professor at Santa Clara University, replicated Milgram's famous study with some modifications to address the ethical concerns of study. In an article published in the APS Observer, Burger described the relevance of Milgram's study today:

"The haunting black-and-white images of ordinary citizens delivering what appear to be dangerous, if not deadly, electric shocks and the implications of the findings for atrocities like the Holocaust and Abu Ghraib are not easily dismissed. Yet because Milgram’s procedures are clearly out-of-bounds by today’s ethical standards, many questions about the research have gone unanswered. Chief among these is one that inevitably surfaces when I present Milgram’s findings to students: Would people still act that way today?"

Burger made several alterations to Milgram's experiment. First, the maximum shock level was 150-volts as opposed to the original 450-volts. Participants were also carefully screened to eliminate those who might experience negative reactions to the experiment.

The results of the new experiment revealed that participants obeyed at the same rate that they did when Milgram conducted his original study more than 40 years ago.

The January issue of American Psychologist also contains discussion from other psychologists about the comparisons can be made between Milgram's experiment and Burger's study. According to Arthur G. Miller, Ph.D. of Miami University, "...there are simply too many differences between this study and the earlier obedience research to permit conceptually precise and useful comparisons."

However, Alan C. Elms, PhD, of the University of California, Davis points out that while "direct comparisons of absolute levels of obedience cannot be made between the 150-volt maximum of Burger’s research design and Milgram’s 450-volt maximum, Burger’s “obedience lite” procedures can be used to explore further some of the situational variables studied by Milgram as well as to look at additional variables," such as situational and personality differences.

Learn more about the Milgram obedience experiment.

Further Reading:

• "Replicating Milgram: Would People Still Obey Today?" - By Jerry M. Burger, from American Psychologist (Available in PDF Format)
• "Reflections on 'Replicating Milgram' (Burger 2009)"- By Arthur G. Miller, PhD, from American Psychologist (Available in PDF Format)
• "Obedience Lite" - By Alan C. Elms, PhD, from American Psychologist (Available in PDF Format)

Reader Question:

I would very much like to pursue a degree in psychology, but there are no colleges within driving distance of my rural community. I've visited many sites online that promise a degree in psychology, but I'm afraid of getting involved with a diploma mill. Are there any organizations out there that rate the effectiveness of the various online degree programs offered? --Julia

The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is the organization that oversees accrediting agencies in the United States. You can check to see if a school's accreditation claims are legitimate by checking CHEA's online database of schools and programs that are accredited by recognized U.S. accrediting organizations. About.com's Guide to Distance Learning, Jamie Littlefield, also offers many great resources to help students understand distance education and choose the right program for their needs. Check out the following articles before you choose an online psychology program.

• Choosing an Online School
• How To Check Any Online School's Accreditation Status
• What You Need to Know About Diploma Mills
• 6 Snares Fake Schools Set

Related Reading:

• Before You Choose a Psychology Major
• Before You Choose a Graduate School in Psychology

What is an optical illusion? Optical illusions, more appropriately known as visual illusions, involves visual deception. Due to the arrangement of images, effect of colors, impact of light source or other variable, a wide range of misleading visual effects can be seen.

If you've ever struggled to see the hidden image in a single-image stereogram, you may have discovered that not everyone experience visual illusions in the same way. For some illusions, some people simply are not able to see the effect.

While optical illusions can be fun and interesting, they also reveal a great deal about the working of the brain. Learn more about some of the most famous optical illusion and discover exactly how and why these visual illusions occur in this optical illusion gallery.