1) Social Influence Flashcards
What was the procedure for Milgram’s research?
1963
- 40 male participants. Each person drew lots for their role. There was a confederate “learner”, participant as the “teacher” and an experimenter.
- “Learner” was strapped in a chair in another room wired with electrodes. “Teacher” was asked to administer an electrical shock to the “learner” when an incorrect answer was given.
- Participants were unaware that the shocks were fake.
- Shocks ranged from 15V to 450V, labelled as severe, but at 315V the “learner” would pound on the wall and stop responding.
- If the “teacher” felt unsure about continuing, the “experimenter” would say “please continue” and “the experiment requires you to continue”.
What were the conclusions for Milgram’s Research?
- No participants stopped below 300V but 65% continued to 450V.
- Observations formed qualitative data and indicated that participants showed signs of tension, many would sweat, tremble and bit their lips. Three had uncontrollable seizures.
What happened during the debriefing of Milgram’s Experiment?
Participants were assured their behavior was normal.
A follow-up questionnaire reported that 84% were glad to have participated.
How did Milgram recruit his participants?
Through newspaper ads and postal flyers to take part in a “memory study”
Who were Milgram’s participants?
40 Males, aged between 20 and 50 from a range of jobs.
What was the effect of proximity on obedience?
- Fell from 65% to 21% when the experimenter was in another room (talking via telephone) showing a decrease in obedience when the authority figure is further away.
- Obedience fell to 30% when the teacher was asked to force the learners hand onto a shock plate, showing a decrease in obedience when a the participant is closer to the harm.
- This is because they feel more responsible for their actions.
What was the effect of location on obedience?
- Dropped from 65% to 48% when the location was changed from the prestigious university setting to a run-down building.
What was the effect of uniform on obedience?
- The experimenter was “called away” because of a phone call and an ordinary member of the public stepped in wearing ordinary clothes rather than a lab coat.
- Obedience dropped to 20%, lowest of all variations showing that uniform is a strong visual authority symbol.
What is the agentic state?
Carrying out another person’s orders as you feel less responsible.
What is the autonomous state?
When we see ourselves as being responsible for our own behaviour.
What is an agentic shift?
Moving from the autonomous state to the agentic state
What are binding factors?
Aspects of a situation that allow a person to obey by:
- Ignore the damaging effect of their behaviour.
- Reduce moral strain so they allow a person to stay in the agentic state.
What is a legitimate authority figure?
Someone who is perceived to be in a position of social control.
Why does a figure of authority influence a shift to the agentic state?
They are viewed as a legitimate figure of authority.
What are dispositional explanations?
Explanations proposing that:
obedience is caused by personality characteristics
What was Adorno et al’s (1950) study on the authoritarian personality?
- Studied more than 2000 white middle-class, Americans and their unconscious attitudes towards other racial groups.
- The F-Scale was developed (fascism) to measure AP.
These people who scored higher identified with “strong” people and were dismissive of the “weak”. Conscious of their own status and of others higher than them.
Have fixed stereotypes - A strong correlation between authoritarianism and prejudice.
