Core studies - Social Psychology - Bocchairo Study

Question 1

What is a whistle-blower

Answer 1

Someone who reports unethical or immoral behaviour to a higher authority when they have observed that behaviour taking place

Question 2

Aim 1 (Main Aim)

Answer 2

To investigate the rates of obedience, disobedience and whistleblowing in a situation where the request was ethically wrong

Question 3

Aim 2

Answer 3

To investigate the accuracy of people’s estimations of other people’s responses to authority; obedience, disobedience and whistleblowing

Question 4

Aim 3

Answer 4

To investigate the role of dispositional factors in obedience, disobedience and whistle blowing

Question 5

Research Method

Answer 5

• Scenario study
• 8 pilot tests were conducted to ensure the fake cover story was believable and credible

Question 6

Where did the study take place

Answer 6

• Laboratory
• VU University in Amsterdam
• 2 specially prepared rooms were used

Question 7

Sample

Answer 7

-149 undergraduate students
- 96 women and 53 men
- Mean age of 20.8
- Students at VU University in Amsterdam
- Were given 7 euros or course credit for their participation 3

Question 8

Sampling method

Answer 8

Volunteer sampling

Question 9

Procedure

Answer 9

1. Each p was greeted by a male, Dutch experimenter who was formally dressed and was stern
2. Unethical request - To recommend 3 friends to take part in a harmful study testing the effects of sensory deprivation
3. P’s were told that a University Ethics Research Committee was collecting feedback from students and Research Committee Forms were in the next room
4. P’s were given 3 mins in a room alone to decide whether to obey and write a letter to 3 friends, disobey and do nothing, or blow the whistle and report the ethical violations to the research committee
5. They were given 7 minutes to do what they had decided
6. P’s were given 2 personality tests , HEXACO and the Social Value Orientation (SVO)
7. They were then fully debriefed at the end and asked to sign a consent form

Question 10

What were the 2 personality tests given to p’s

Answer 10

1. HEXACO
2. Social Value Orientation (SVO)

Question 11

What was the unethical request

Answer 11

To recommend 3 friends to take part in a harmful study testing the effects of sensory deprivation

Question 12

What was the role of the comparison group

Answer 12

• They were brought in the day before the actual study
• They were asked what they would do (obey, disobey, or whistle blow)
• They were also asked to predict what other students at their university would do
• This was so Bocchairo could compare their results to the actual p’s responses

Question 13

Qualitative Findings

Answer 13

There was a trend that those who whistle blew tended to have a faith

Question 14

Quantitative Findings

Answer 14

1. Obeying: CG(themselves) = 3.6%, CG(others) = 18.8%, APR = 76.5%
2. Disobey: CG(themselves) = 31.9%, CG(others) = 43.9%, APR = 14.1%
3. Whistle: CG(themselves) = 64.5%, CG(others) = 37.3%, APR = 9.4%

Question 15

Conclusion for Aim 1

Answer 15

People tend to obey authority figures, even if the authority is unjust

Question 16

Conclusion for Aim 2

Answer 16

What people say they and others will do in a given situation often differs from what they actually do

Question 17

Conclusion for Aim 3

Answer 17

Very few personality traits influence rates of obedience, disobedience and whistle-blowing

Question 18

Link to Key Theme

Question 19

Link to Area