Bocchario, Whistleblowing

Question 1

Who is a whistleblower?

Answer 1

Person who informs on a person regarded as engaging in unlawful or immoral behaviour

Question 2

Aim 1

Answer 2

Who are the people that disobey or blow the whistle?

Question 3

Aim 2

Answer 3

Do whistleblowers have personal characteristics that differentiate them from those who obey

Question 4

Aim 3

Answer 4

Why do they choose the challenging path?

Question 5

Design of the study?

Answer 5

Scenario study, took place in a laboratory at the University of Amsterdam

Question 6

Sample number

Answer 6

149 undergraduate students

Question 7

Sampling method

Answer 7

Volunteer sample, €7 given or course credit

Question 8

Comparison group, who and aim

Answer 8

138 students that predicted the obedience, disobedience and whistleblowing numbers

Question 9

Aim of pilot studies

Answer 9

8 pilot studies involving 92 undergraduates from the University of Amsterdam.
Aiming to endure the procedure was credible and morally accepted

Question 10

Comparison questions

Answer 10

“What would you do?”

“What would the average student at your university do?”

Question 11

How were ethics maintained in the study?

Answer 11

Introduction, aim of the study, potential risks involved and right to withdraw. Assured of confidentiality

Question 12

Who were the participants greeted by?

Answer 12

Male, Dutch experimenter who was formally dressed and stern

Question 13

What did the experimenter request?

Answer 13

Asked for fellow students names without justification

Question 14

What were they presented with? Summarise this

Answer 14

Cover story about the effects of sensory deprivation on brain function. Previous research lead to panic, the cognitive abilities were temporarily impaired and experience of visual and auditory hallucinations in participants

Question 15

How long did the experimenter leave the room for thinking time?

Answer 15

3 minutes

Question 16

What was in the second room?

Answer 16

Computer to write the statement on, mailbox and fill out form to report back to the company.

Question 17

What were participants asked to mention in their statement?

Answer 17

To mention at least 2 good adjectives to sound enthusiastic

Question 18

How long did the experimenter leave the participants for in the second room?

Answer 18

7 minutes

Question 19

At the end of the study, what did the participants have to complete?

Answer 19

2 personality tests and were fully debriefed

Question 20

% of comparison group results

Answer 20

Obey- 4%
Disobey - 32%
Whistleblow - 64%

Question 21

Experimental results

Answer 21

Obey-77%
Disobey-14%
Whistleblow- 9%

Question 22

Results for individual differences

Answer 22

People with higher faith are more likely to whistleblow

Question 23

Conclusion 1

Answer 23

There is no significant difference in term of religion and personality traits

Question 24

Conclusion 2

Answer 24

People tend to obey authoritative figures

Question 25

Conclusion 3

Answer 25

Behaving morally appears to be hard even when it appears to be easy

Question 26

Conclusion 4

Answer 26

People are bad at predicting what they or others will do in a situation