Bickman's study into the social power of uniform

Question 1

back round and Aim for Bickman’s study

Answer 1

• Obedience to authority is based on the clothing people wear, clothing like police uniform encourages people to obey
  -Bickman was interested in how uniform would affect people’s level of obedience

Question 2

Hypothesis for Bickman’s study

Answer 2

Alternate hypothesis = A uniformed guard has more ability to influence others than the same person in a low- authority uniform

Question 3

Bickman’s method and research design

Answer 3

• Field experiment (took place in a real-world setting rather than a lab) designed to investigate the effect of obedience on uniform

Question 4

Sample for Bickman’s study

Answer 4

• New York, Brooklyn
  153 people (not aware they were apart of a psychology study)

Question 5

Materials for Bickman’s study

Answer 5

guard , milkman and civilian uniform
- Standardised

Question 6

How could Bickman test whether uniform could have an effect on levels of obedience?

Answer 6

• He had 3 experiments in the study , each person took turns in a uniform- standardised

Question 7

Procedure for Bickman’s study 1

Answer 7

• 3 different orders given by experimenter to a participant
  1 order for one participant
  ⭐”pick up this bag for me”
  ⭐ “This man is overparked at the meter but doesn’t have any change- give him a dime”
  ⭐” Don’t you know you have to stand on the other side of the pole? This sign says no standing”

Question 8

Collecting data for Bickman’s study

Answer 8

• Participant were said to be obedient if they obeyed the question

Question 9

Findings/ Results for Bickman’s study 1

Answer 9

People were 2/3 x more likely to obey given an experimenter dressed as a guard than an experimenter dressed as a civilian
When told to give a coin to the man at the meter
89% guard dressed = participant obeyed
57% milkman dressed = participant obeyed
33% civilian dressed = participant obeyed

Question 10

Conclusion for Bickman’s study 1

Answer 10

: how we dress can
suggest authority and when people
think someone has the authority to
punish them, they are more likely to
obey
: The results support a situational explanation for obedience
uniform = situational factor

Question 11

What is the percentage change between 30 and 42

Answer 11

new value - original value/original value x 100 =
40%

Question 12

Bickman’s experiment 2 research design

Answer 12

• Field experiment in Brooklyn

Question 13

Bickman’s experiment 2 sample

Answer 13

• 48 adult pedestrians with an average age of 47

Question 14

Bickman’s experiment 2 procedure

Answer 14

The dime and meter orders were used form experiment 1
There was 2 independent variables
- Lvl of authority - guard and civilian
- Surveillance and non surveillance
order given and walk away
order given and experimenter remain next to participant

Question 15

Bickman’s experiment 2 results

Answer 15

Surveillance had no effect on whether the participant obeyed or did not obey
(guard was obeyed more)

Question 16

Bickman’s experiment 3a research design and sample

Answer 16

• a questionnaire and 141 college students

Question 17

Bickman’s experiment 3a procedure

Answer 17

Participants were asked to respond to 29 diff hypothetical scenarios
including the 3 from the original study

Question 18

Bickman’s experiment 3a results

Answer 18

of the 3 scenarios, the guard was not seen as more legitimate than the other uniforms

Question 19

Bickman’s Experiment 3b research design and sample

Answer 19

• a questionnaire and 189 college students (diff from 3a)

Question 20

Bickman’s Experiment 3b procedure

Answer 20

• Participants were asked what they would do if they were in the scenario from experiment 1, they were also asked to predict what others would do

Question 21

Bickman’s Experiment 3b results

Answer 21

• Participants did not think that the guard would have more social power in these situations compared to the milkman or the civilian
  = no diff in legitimacy of requests

Question 22

2 Criticism of Bickman’s study

Answer 22

• The participants were selected by opportunity sampling.
  = unknown factors could affect their behaviour for example if someone is rushing to a job interview they are less likely to stop regardless of who is giving the order.
• The research is culturally biased , took part in one city of America.
  = Other cultures may react differently and results could differ in different areas.

Question 23

3 Criticism of Bickman’s study

Answer 23

• The study is unethical as participants did not know they were being studied because it was a field experiment.
  = no consent given = may feel embarrassed to pick up litter = not debriefed after experiment either
• Gender bias as all confederates were male.
  = if female, results may differ
• It was a field experiment so little control over extraneous variables, for example not being able to control weather so if it rains = quickly get out of rain