explanations of obedience Flashcards
what are the situational explanations of obedience
agentic state
proximity
location
uniform
legitimacy of authority
agentic state
when you obey orders of an authority figure and do not feel responsible for their actions
shifted from an autonomous state to an agentic state
proximity
when the learner is in the same room the obedience drops
if the authority figure gives instructions by phone the obedience drops
location
less credible locations rather than a prestigious university cause obedience to reduce
e.g. a run down office block
uniform
the lab coat indicates status
when the experimenter did not wear one the obedience dropped
legitimacy of authority
uniform and location demonstrate legitimate authority
people will obey when the person giving orders seems to have authority due to perceived status in society
variations of Milgram % of obedience
agentic shift
location and legitimate authority
proximity (same room)
proximity (phone)
uniform and legitimate authority
agentic shift
someone else administered the shock
92.5%
location and legitimate authority
conducted in a run down office block
48%
proximity (same room)
teacher and learner were n the same room
40%
proximity (phone)
experimenter gave instructions over the phone
21%
uniform and legitimate authority
the experimenter was replaced by an ordinary man in plan clothes
20%
evaluation for situational explanations
agentic shift
uniform/legitimate authority
danger
agentic shift : EVALUATION FOR SITUATIONAL EXPLANATIONS
Rank and Jacobson
- 16/18 nurses disobeyed orders from a doctor to give an excessive dose of a known drug
- agentic shift cannot explain all situations
- a dispositional explanation may be better
uniform/legitimate authority : EVALUATION FOR SITUATIONAL EXPLANATIONS
Bickman
- high ecological validity
- public were more likely to obey someone and pick up litter when the actor was dressed as a security guard than in normal clothes
