Factors Affecting Obedience Flashcards
State the situational factors that affect levels of obedience:
• momentum of compliance
• proximity
• status of the authority
• personal responsibility
What is moment of compliance?
This is when the pps starts to feel duty bound to continue the study. This starts with small tasks where pps will find themselves committed to the experiment.
How does proximity affect obedience?
The closer the authority figure, the higher the levels of obedience. Distance seems to act as a buffer towards obedience, as found in the telephonic instruction conditions. Proximity of victim, also acted as a buffer to obedience. When learner was in the same room, obedience dropped.
How does the status of authority affect obedience?
Migram stated that obedience could only be established when the authority figure was perceived to be legitimate.
How does personal responsibility affect obedience?
Milgram believed pps would be more obedient in a situation where personal responsibility is removed and placed onto the shoulders of an authority figure.
What is locus of control?
Dissenting individuals take more of the blame, whereas obedient people are more likely to displace the blame.
State the two different personality types:
• external locus of control
• internal locus of control
What is external locus of control?
This is when people believe that their behaviour is largely beyond their control due to external factors, like fate. These people are more affected by others around them.
What is internal locus of control?
People with an internal locus of control tend to believe they’re responsible for their own actions and are less influenced by other.
What is authoritarian personality?
They’re comfortable being the stronger ruler, but if the individual is not the strong ruler they will demonstrate complete obedience to another strong authority figure.
How does culture affect obedience?
Many behaviours vary across cultures.
Cultures can be divided into 2 types, individualistic and collectivist.
Individualistic (America) tend to behave more independently and resist conformity and compliance. Collectivist cultures (Saudi) tend to behave in a collective manner based on interdependence.
Collectivist cultures are more likely to be obedient.
What is prejudice?
An attitude (usually negative) towards a group or its individuals which causes us to think and behave in a particular way towards.
