Bocchiaro Flashcards
What is a whistleblower?
a person who informs on someone who is engaging in immoral or illegal behavior
What did Milgram’s research improve our understanding of?
Obedience and why people obey legitimate authority
What is lacking in our understanding according to Milgram’s research?
The nature of disobedience
What are the 3 question aims of the study?
- Who are the people who disobey - or blow the whistle
- why do they chose to reject social influences and follow a challenging moral path
- Do they have personal characteristics which differ from those who obey
What type of experiment was the study?
Laboratory experiment having no IV.
What did Bocchiaro call the study?
Bocchiaro called it a ‘scenario study’.
How many undergraduate students were in the sample?
149 undergraduate students
How many women were in the sample?
96 women
How many men were in the sample?
53 men
What was the average age of the participants?
20.8 years
What compensation was given to participants?
7 euro or course credit
How many participants were removed from the study due to being ‘suspicious’?
11 participants
What was the size of the comparison group used in the study?
138 students
Where did the experiment take place?
VU University in Amsterdam
How were participants greeted?
Participants were greeted by a ‘stern’ formally dressed male researcher.
What task were participants asked to perform, and what was the cover story?
Participants were asked to suggest names of fellow students and write a statement to convince them to participate in a study about the effects of sensory deprivation on brain function.
What words were participants required to use in their statement?
They had to use the words “exciting,” “incredible,” “great,” and “superb”.
What restriction was placed on the statement?
Participants were told not to mention negative effects of sensory deprivation.
How could participants challenge the perceived unethical nature of the study?
By putting a form in a mailbox.
What happened after the instructions were given?
The experimenter left the room.
How long did participants have to complete tasks?
Participants had 7 minutes.
What tasks did participants complete after the initial instructions, and what question were they asked?
They completed two personality tests and were questioned about any ‘suspicion’.
What happened at the end of the procedure?
Participants were fully debriefed and asked to sign a second consent form.
How long did the entire procedure last?
Approximately 40 minutes.
What did the 138 comparison students do?
They provided a description and were asked “what would you do?” and “what would the average student at your uni do?”
What percentage of the comparison group (myself) would obey?
0.036000000000000004
What percentage of the comparison group (myself) would whistle blow?
0.645
What percentage of the comparison group (others) would obey?
0.188
What percentage of the experimental group would obey?
0.765
What percentage of the experimental group would whistle blow?
0.094
What was found regarding differences in religion, gender, or personality traits?
There was no difference.
What do people tend to do in relation to authority figures?
People tend to obey authority figures.
What is challenging even when it appears to be easy?
Behaving in a moral manner.
How good are people at predicting their own or others’ actions?
People are not very good at predicting.
