Bocchiaro SOCIAL

Question 1

Aim?

Answer 1

To investigate how people deal with an unethical and unjust request.

Ps have the option of obeying, disobeying or blowing the whistle

To see if people who disobey / blow the whistle show different personality characteristics than those who don’t

Question 2

Design

Answer 2

Controlled observation (in a laboratory)

Question 3

Sample
Type
How many
Where from
How

Answer 3

Self selected sample

149 ps

Dutch University students

96 women + 53 men

Responded to a flyer in the cafeteria

Question 4

Sample
Other groups

Answer 4

Pilot tests: 92 students

Predict behaviour: 138 (comparison)

Question 5

Materials / apparatus

Answer 5

Research committee ethics form

Two personality tests:
HEXACO-PI-R:
To assess 6 basic personality traits

Decomposed games measure: assess how much importance a person placed on the welfare of another person in relation to their own

Question 6

Procedure?

Answer 6

8 pilot tests

Comparison group: predict how they would behave

Experimenter gave standardised instructions

Ps taken to a second room to write their statement and fill in the ethics form

Ps completed 2 tests

Lasted 40 mins

All ps debriefed - special care to deception

Question 7

Results?

Answer 7

Comparison:
3.6% - obey
18.8% - others obey
64.5% - blow whistle
31.9% - disobey

‘Real’:
76.5% - obeyed
9.4% - blew whistle
14.1% - disobeyed

Comparison:

No significant differences in terms of gender or religion

More faith: whistleblowers

No differences in personality test

No pattern in other test

Question 8

Strength

Answer 8

Standardised conditions

Test obedience in ethical way

Question 9

Weakness

Answer 9

Ps alert to contrived situation - may try guess aim - DEMAND CHARACTERISTICS

Question 10

Sampling bias

Answer 10

All university students

Behave differently to target population - not generalisable

Question 11

Validity and reliability

Answer 11

Test on personality - good levels of validity and reliability

2nd test - high levels of validity and reliability

Question 12

Types of data
What / which

Answer 12

Quantitative and qualitative

Question 13

Ethics

Answer 13

Deception - told it was for unethical study

Informed consent - yes - knew what was involved but not true aims

Right to withdraw - yes

Debrief - yes

Question 14

Location

Answer 14

Laboratory at university of Amsterdam

Experimenter: confederate