Prior to carrying out the experiment, Milgram explanined his idea to a group of 39psychiatrists and asked them to predict the average percentage of people in an ordinary population who would be willing to administer the highest shock level of 450 volts. The overwhelming consensus was that virtually all the teacher-subject would refuse to obey the experimenter. Thepsychiareists felt that' most subjects would not go beyond 150 volts' and they further anticipated that only four per cent would go up to 300volts. Furthermore, they thought thai only a lunatic fringe of about one in 1,000would give the highest shovk of 450 volts