Lesson 6 - Situational Variables in Obedience

Question 1

Milgram (1974)

Answer 1

Conducted several variations of his original 1963 study

Wanted to determine which situational variables lead to high levels of obedience and which reduce obedience

Question 2

Situational Variables Tested

Answer 2

Proximity
Location
Uniform

Question 3

Proximity Variation

Answer 3

Both teacher and learner seated in same room
Obedience levels fell to 40%
Teacher was now able to experience Mr Wallace’s anguish directly

Question 4

Touch Proximity Variation

Answer 4

Teacher had to actually force the learner’s arm down onto a metal plate to administer shocks
Obedience rate fell to 30%

Question 5

Absent Experimenter Variation

Answer 5

Experimenter left the room after giving instructions and gave subsequent orders by telephone
Majority of participants missed out shocks or gave lower voltages than they were meant to
Obedience rate dropped to 21%

Question 6

Alternative Setting Variation

Answer 6

Experiment carried out in a rundown office in downtime Connecticut
Experimenter wore casual clothings
Other variations carried out in Yale University
Obedience rate dropped to 48%
Location of Yale gave confidence in integrity of experimenter
Lower status of rundown office changed perception of legitimate authority
Higher authority in Yale leading to high obedience

Question 7

Uniform

Answer 7

Visible symbols of authority
Shower power and status of someone’s (police uniform)
Also show lack of power and status (prisoner uniform)

Question 8

Bickman (1974)

Answer 8

Asked confederates to order passerbys to pick litter off of street or move away deform bus stop
Confederates dressed as either guard, milkman or in smart clothes
90% obeyed guard but only 50% obeyed civilian
Person is guard uniform is more likely to be obeyed