Bocchiaro (2012)

Question 1

Background of the study

Answer 1

-Milgrams study has given us some knowledge on obedience
-Little research into disobedience to unjust authority and reporting wrongdoing to higher authorities

Question 2

Define whistleblowing

Answer 2

A whistleblower is a person, often an employee, who reveals information about activity within a private or public organisation that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe or fraudulent

Question 3

Aims

Answer 3

-Aimed to plug gaps in prior research. Researches wanted to create a situation that gave them the options of obeying, disobeying or whistleblowing.
-They had to follow ethical guidelines, but wanted to create an engaging and ecologically valid situation

Question 4

Sample

Answer 4

-Self-selecting
-149 undergraduate students from VU University in Amsterdam
-96f, 53m, mean age of 20.8
-Recruited by flyers in campus cafeteria offering either €7 or course credit

Question 5

Procedure

Question 6

What are the three things participants could have done?

Answer 6

-76.5% obeyed
-14.1% disobeyed
-9.4% were whistle-blowers
-Obey and write the statement
-Disobey and refuse to write the statement
-Whistle-blow by ticking the ethics committee form and posting it

Question 7

Findings/conclusions

Answer 7

-76.5% obeyed
-14.1% disobeyed
-9.4% were whistle-blowers