Bocchiaro et al.

Question 1

What is the background to Bocchiaro’s study?

Answer 1

Milgram on obedience

Question 2

What is the aim to Bocchiaro’s study?

Answer 2

to see how people react to a destructive order with the perceived presence of an authority figure

Question 3

What was Bocchiaro’s method design?

Answer 3

controlled observation
lab study

Question 4

How old were Bocchiaro’s participants?

Answer 4

mean age of 20.8

Question 5

How were Bocchiaro’s participants recruited?

Answer 5

self selected
flyers in VU University of Amsterdam

Question 6

How many participants were in Bocchiaro’s study? How many male and female?

Answer 6

149 - 160 originally 160 but 11 removed for suspicion of the study’s aim
96 female
53 male

Question 7

Where were Bocchiaro’s participants from?

Answer 7

VU University of Amsterdam

Question 8

How much were Bocchiaro’s participants paid?

Answer 8

7 euro or a course credit

Question 9

How many students were used in Bocchiaro’s pilot studies? How many comparison?

Answer 9

92 pilot stud students
138 comparison- to predict behaviour

Question 10

What area is Bocchiaro’s study?

Answer 10

social area

Question 11

What personality tests did Bocchiaro use?

Answer 11

Decomposed Games measure
HEXACO-PI-R

Question 12

Why did Bocchiaro use pilot tests?

Answer 12

to check the procedure was believable + morally acceptable and that experimenter-authority behaviour was standardised

Question 13

What was the HEXACO-PI-R test in Bocchiaro’s study?

Answer 13

60 statements
had to indicate their agreement on a likert rating scale from 1-5
assess 6 basic personality traits

Question 14

What was the Decomposed Games measure in Bocchiaro’s study?

Answer 14

nine item test
assess how important they place their welfare in relation to another’s
used to see if self interest clashed with collective interest

Question 15

What did the comparison students do in Bocchiaro’s study?

Answer 15

predict what they would do and what the average student at the university would do

Question 16

What was the experimenter’s characteristics in Bocchairo’s study?

Answer 16

Dutch male
stern manner
formally dressed

Question 17

What was the cover story told to participants in Bocchiaro’s study?

Answer 17

new research on sensory deprivation
previous research in Rome all had a traumatic experience and were denied the right to withdraw

Question 18

What were Bocchiaro’s participants told to do?

Answer 18

fill in a Research Committee form in approval of the study
recruit students to take part in the study

Question 19

How long did the experimenter leave the room for in Bocchiaro’s study? Why?

Answer 19

3 minutes to allow the pps to reflect on what they’ve been told
7 minutes to fill in the forms

Question 20

How long did Bocchiaro’s study take?

Answer 20

about 40 minutes

Question 21

What words were participants told to include/not in Bocchairo’s study?

Answer 21

to be enthusiastic: atleast 2 of the following words: exciting, incredible, great,superb
no mention on negative effects of sensory deprivation

Question 22

What was included in Bocchairo’s second room?

Answer 22

a computer to write a recruitment to other students
form and mailbox to anonymously post

Question 23

Why were Bocchiaro’s participants debriefed?

Answer 23

so they know the true nature of the study
so they do not lose trust in future research and so they know all research needs ethical approval

Question 24

What did Bocchiaro’s comparison students predict their own behaviour vs others for obedience?

Answer 24

3.6% obey (own)
18.8% obey (others)

Question 25

What did Bocchiaro’s comparison students predict their own behaviour vs others for disobedience?

Answer 25

31.9% disobey (own)
43.9% disobey (others)

Question 26

What did Bocchiaro’s comparison students predict their own behaviour vs others for whistleblowing?

Answer 26

64.5% whistleblow (own)
37.3% whistleblow (others)

Question 27

What percentage of Bocchiaro’s participants obeyed?

Answer 27

76.5% obeyed

Question 28

What percentage of Bocchiaro’s participants disobeyed?

Answer 28

14.1% disobeyed

Question 29

What percentage of Bocchiaro’s participants whistleblew?

Answer 29

9.4% whistleblew

Question 30

What did Bocchiaro’s HEXACO-PI-R and Decomposed Games measure tests show? (in terms of results)

Answer 30

no significant differences in religion, gender, personality or social orientation (prosocial, individualistic or competitive)
people with more faith were more likely to whistleblow than obedient/disobedient pps
no

Question 31

What did Bocchiaro classify as obeying/disobeying?

Answer 31

writing an approving request including 2 words out of the 4 given (superb, great, exciting, incredible) or not

Question 32

What did Bocchiaro classify as whistleblowing?

Answer 32

filled in the ethics form negatively

Question 33

What did disobedient participants in Bocchiaro’s study appear to do physically? Why?

Answer 33

shut off emotionally
display autistic behaviour- avoid eye contact + conversation
disobedience is the ‘greatest moral act’ because they were going against an authority figure

Question 34

What does Bocchiaro’s comparison results show?

Answer 34

we see ourselves better than others/ different
this create a ‘blindness’ and underestimates our own vulnerability to social pressures
(paradoxically) this makes us more vulnerable as we have no awareness we are being influenced