Lesson 6: Situational Variables Affecting Obedience

Question 1

Milgram (1974)

Answer 1

• Milgram (1974) conducted several variations of his original study. He wanted to determine which situational variables lead to high levels of obedience, and which reduce obedience.

Question 2

Proximity

Answer 2

• In the proximity variation both the teacher and the learner was seated in the same room. Obedience levels fell to 40% as the teacher was now able to experience Mr. Wallace’s anguish directly.
• In a more extreme variation, known as the touch proximity variation, the teacher had to actually force the learner’s arm down onto a metal plate to administer the shocks. The obedience rate was 30%.
• The proximity of the experimenter is also important. In the absent experimenter variation the experimenter left the room after giving his instructions and gave subsequent orders by telephone. The vast majority of participants missed out shocks or gave lower voltages than they were meant to. The obedience rate was 21%.

Question 3

Location

Answer 3

• In the alternative setting variation the experiment was carried out in a rundown office in downtown Bridgeport Connecticut by an experimenter wearing casual clothes. All the other variations were carried out at the impressive Yale University. The obedience rate was 48%. Participants reported the location of Yale University gave them confidence in the integrity of the experimenter. The lower statues of the rundown office changed participants’ perception of the legitimacy of the authority of the experimenter. The experimenter had a higher authority at Yale University than in the run-down office, which led to higher obedience rates.

Question 4

Uniform

Answer 4

• Uniforms have a powerful impact on obedience. Uniforms are visible symbols of authority. Sometimes uniforms show that someone has power and status (e.g. a police officer’s uniform) however, on other occasions they show that someone does not have power and status (e.g. a prisoner’s uniform)
• Bickman (1974) asked confederates to order passer-bys to pick some litter off the street or move away from a bus stop. The confederates were dressed as either a guard, milkman or just in smart clothes. 90% of people obeyed the guard but only 50% obeyed the civilian. A person in a guard uniform is more likely to be obeyed.