Bocchiaro et al. (2012) Flashcards
What were the aims of Bocchiaro’s study?
- To understand who disobeys and who whisleblowers
- To understand the personal and situational factors involved in disobedience.
- To replicate Milgram (1963) method and findings, individuals predicted the outcome of the study
What is a whisleblower?
A person who exposes/informs on a person or organisation regarded as engaging in unlawful or immoral activity.
What was the research method?
There was no IV so the study is a laboratory study or a ‘scenario study’.
The study took place in a lab at the VU university in Amsterdam.
What was the sample used?
Volunteer sample using flyers from the camplus cafeteria.
The first sample (predicted) - 133 undergraduate students.
Main sample - 149 undergraduate students (96 women, 53 men).
Paid 7 Euro or course credits.
11 participants were removed from original sample to 160.
Outline the pilot tests used.
8 pilot tests (92 participants)
Conducted to ensure the procedure was credible and morally acceptable.
What was he cover story of the research?
Investigating sensory deprivation, recently conducted a study on 6 participants all participants panicked and their cognitive abilities were temporarily impaired.
A University Research Committee was evaluating, needed feedback from students.
What was the procedure in Bocchiaro et al?
Each participant met male Dutch experimenter, dressed formally and stern.
They were requested to provide the names of a few fellow students and presented cover story.
The experimenter left the room for 3 mins.
Participants moved into second room, there was a computer for them to write a statement. Participants were told to be enthusiastic and use the words great and exciting.
They were told not to mention negative side effects.
If the participant believed the research violated ethics they could anonymously challenge it by putting a form in a mailbox.
The experimenter left the room for 7 mins.
What were the predicted results?
4% obey, 32% disobedient, 64% whisleblow
What were the actual results?
75% obeyed, 15% disobeyed, 10% whisleblow
What were participants also tested on?
60 item HEXACO-PI-R personality test, questioned about faith and a Social Value Orientation.
What were the findings from other tests conducted?
No significant differences were found in relation to gender, religion or personality. Only difference was observed regarding faith.
What were the possible conclusions from the study?
People obey authority figures even if the authority is unjust.
Individuals behave in a completely different way than expected them they find themselves in a circumstance which is unfamiliar.
Evaluate the research method used in Bocchiaro et al’s study.
The study had DVs and Controls but lacked an IV.
It can be argued it does not meet the criteria for a experiment but it has a standardised procedure which makes it replicable across 149 participants it established reliability.
Evaluate the data collected in Bocchiaro et al’s study.
Both quantitative and qualitative data was collected.
The quantitative data was comprised of the number and percentages of participants who were obedient, disobedient or whisleblew.
The data collected from the two parametric tests was also quantitative.
The qualitative data consisted of the comments made by participants during the debrief about why they behaved they did.
Discuss the ethical issues in Bocchiaro et al’s study.
This study stayed within ethical guidelines.
Confidentiality of the participants was collected, consent was sought twice, they could of withdrawn from the study at anytime.
There was a high level of deception and consent given at the start was not fully informed.