Factors affecting obedience Flashcards
Define ‘dispositional factors’.
Facts about you which remain true all the time, even though your situation may change (eg. cultural beliefs, age, gender, personality)
What are the 3 dispositional factors affecting obedience and dissent?
Gender: Male V Female
Personality: Fascist V Non- fascist
Cultural Differences: Individualistic V Collectivist societies
How does gender affect obedience? (2 points)
Society has developed a sense of gender identity (masculinity and femininity) through socialisation
Gender stereotypes affect how we perceive ourselves and others - women perceived to be more obedient
How does personality affect obedience? (3 points)
External locus of control: believing your behaviour is outside your control
More likely to be obedient
Internal locus of control: attributing your behaviour to your own actions
Less likely to be obedient
High desire for control has been related to lower levels of obedience - people want to be in charge of their own decisions
Define ‘authoritarian personality’.
A state of mind characterised by belief in absolute obedience or submission to someone else’s authority
What do individualistic cultures value? (4 points)
Independence
Autonomy
Uniqueness
Fulfilling one’s own goals
What do collectivist cultures value? (3 points)
Interdependence
Conformity
Identifying as part of a group
What are the 2 supporting studies and 1 refuting study that supports gender affecting obedience?
Supporting:
Sheridan & King (1972)
Kilham & Mann (1974)
Refuting:
Burger (2009)
What are the supporting and refuting pieces of evidence for personality and culture impacting obedience?
Personality
Supporting: Elms and Milgram (1966)
Refuting: Burger (2009)
Culture
Supporting: Shanab & Yahya (1977)
Refuting: Cultures’ definition of obedience
How does Sheridan & King (1972) support gender affecting obedience? (3 points)
They conducted an adaptation of Milgram’s original study with a puppy carrying out a learning exercise
The puppy received a real electric shock - small enough to make it jump and show obvious signs of distress
Percentage who went to the highest level of shock:
Males: 54%
Females: 100%
How does Kilham & Mann (1974) support gender affecting obedience? (2 points)
Replicated Milgram’s study to test gender differences in obedience among Australian students
Males: 40%
Females: 16%
How does Burger (2009) refute gender impacting obedience? (2 points)
Found gender differences are minimal
Supports Milgram’s original research that gender is less of a factor in obedience than others
How does Elms and Milgram (1966) support personality affecting obedience? (3 points)
Conducted a follow-up study using Adorno’s (1950) F scale
Sampled 20 obedient participants, who administered the full 450 volts and 20 disobedient participants, who refused to continue
Findings showed that the fully obedient participants scored higher on the F-Scale, demonstrating greater authoritative personality traits
How does Burger (2009) refute personality affecting obedience? (2 points)
Those scoring high on the empathy scale were more likely to protest against giving electric shocks
However, they still didn’t have lower levels of obedience
How does Shanab and Yahya (1977) support culture affecting obedience? (2 points)
Replicated Milgram’s study with children in collectivist Middle Eastern society
Results showed obedience rates were higher (73%) in collectivist Jordan compared to individualistic USA (65%)
