Bocchiaro

Question 1

What was the primary aim of Bocchiaro et al.’s (2012) study?

Answer 1

To investigate the rates of obedience, disobedience and whistle-blowing in a situation where individuals were asked to carry out an unethical task without physical violence

Question 2

What additional aims did Bocchiaro et al. (2012) have?

Answer 2

To assess the accuracy of people’s predictions about obedience, disobedience, and whistle-blowing, and to examine the role of dispositional factors in these behaviors

Question 3

How does Bocchiaro et al.‘s study relate to Milgram’s research?

Answer 3

While both studies examine obedience to authority, Bocchiaro et al. extended the research by including the concept of whistle-blowing and focusing on ethical dilemmas without physical harm

Question 4

What is whistle-blowing as defined in the context of this study?

Answer 4

Whistle-blowing involves reporting unethical practices to appropriate authorities, particularly within organisations or authority-controlled environments

Question 5

Why was it important to study whistle-blowing behavior?

Answer 5

Understanding whistle-blowing behavior helps in comprehending how individuals respond to unethical requests and the factors that encourage or discourage such actions

Question 6

What research method did Bocchiaro et al. (2012) employ?

Answer 6

A controlled laboratory study, also referred to as a ‘scenario study,’ conducted at VU University in Amsterdam

Question 7

How were participants recruited for the study?

Answer 7

Through volunteer sampling, using flyers posted in the campus cafeteria of VU University

Question 8

What was the sample size and demographic of the main study?

Answer 8

149 undergraduate students (96 women, 53 men) with a mean age of 20.8 years

Question 9

What was the cover story presented to participants?

Answer 9

Participants were told about a study on sensory deprivation and were asked to write a statement encouraging others to participate, using positive adjectives, despite being informed of its distressing effects

Question 10

What options were given to participants after the cover story?

Answer 10

They could obey by writing the statement, disobey by refusing, or whistle-blow by reporting the unethical request to a Research Committee

Question 11

How was whistle-blowing operationally defined in the study?

Answer 11

Participants who reported the unethical request by placing a form in the mailbox for the Research Committee

Question 12

What were the two types of whistle-blowers identified?

Answer 12

Open whistle-blowers (refused to write the statement and reported the issue)

Anonymous whistle-blowers (wrote the statement but also reported the issue)

Question 13

What personality assessments were used in the study?

Answer 13

HEXACO-PI-R, measuring six major personality traits and the Decomposed Games measure, assessing Social Value Orientation (SVO)

Question 14

How long did the entire experimental session last for each participant?

Answer 14

Approximately 40 minutes, including briefing, task performance, and debriefing

Question 15

What percentage of participants obeyed the unethical request?

Answer 15

76% of participants complied by writing the requested statement

Question 16

What percentage of participants disobeyed the request?

Answer 16

14% refused to write the statement, thereby disobeying the authority figure

Question 17

What percentage of participants engaged in whistle-blowing?

Answer 17

9% reported the unethical request to the Research Committee

Question 18

How did participants’ predictions compare to actual behaviors?

Answer 18

Participants significantly overestimated the likelihood of disobedience and whistle-blowing, predicting higher rates than what occurred

Question 19

Were any significant correlations found between personality traits and behavior?

Answer 19

No significant correlations were found between the measured personality traits and the likelihood of obedience, disobedience, or whistle-blowing

Question 20

What did the study conclude about obedience in ethical dilemmas?

Answer 20

Individuals are highly likely to obey authority figures, even when the request is unethical, highlighting the powerful influence of authority on behavior

Question 21

What implications does the study have for understanding whistle-blowing?

Answer 21

Whistle-blowing is a rare behavior, and individuals often fail to act against unethical practices, emphasising the need for mechanisms that support ethical resistance

Question 22

What are the strengths of Bocchiaro et al.’s (2012) study?

Answer 22

The study had high internal validity due to controlled conditions and it addressed ethical considerations more thoroughly than previous obedience studies

Question 23

What are the limitations regarding the study’s sample?

Answer 23

The sample consisted solely of university students from a Western, individualistic culture, limiting the generalisability of the findings

Question 24

How does the study contribute to social psychology?

Answer 24

It provides insight into the complexities of obedience and ethical decision-making, expanding the understanding of how individuals respond to authority in morally challenging situations

Question 25

How does Bocchiaro et al.’s study improve upon Milgram’s research methodologically?

Answer 25

It removed the physical harm element and introduced a realistic ethical dilemma, making the study more ethically sound while still testing obedience under pressure

Question 26

What is a strength of the use of pilot testing in Bocchiaro et al.’s study?

Answer 26

The study included eight pilot tests to ensure the procedure was credible and ethically acceptable, increasing reliability and validity of the findings

Question 27

Why is ecological validity a concern in Bocchiaro et al.’s study?

Answer 27

Despite being more realistic than some lab studies, the artificial lab setting and fabricated cover story still limit ecological validity - participants might behave differently in a real-world whistle-blowing situation

Question 28

What is a limitation regarding the long-term impact on participants?

Answer 28

Although ethical guidelines were followed, the deception and moral dilemma may have caused short-term distress or feelings of guilt, raising ethical concerns

Question 29

What is a weakness of using a student sample in Bocchiaro et al.’s study?

Answer 29

University students may not represent the general population in terms of age, life experience or susceptibility to authority, limiting the external validity of the findings