Obedience

Question 1

Agentic State meaning

Answer 1

A state in which an individual behaves as if the agent of another person. Allows them to deny responsibility for their action and distance themselves from the consequences.

Question 2

What two states did Milgram suggest people could be in?

Answer 2

.When people have control and act according to their own wishes, ‘autonomous state’

When a person obeys an authority figure, they give up some free will - ‘agentic state’

Question 3

Define Obedience:

Answer 3

A type of social influence where a person follows an order from another, who is usually an authority figure

Question 4

Milgram’s study Procedure:

Answer 4

Lab experiment. Teacher and learner (confederate) put in separate rooms. Experimenter made teacher to give shocks (harmless) to the learner after a wrong answer. These went up to 450V

Question 5

Milgram study conclusions:

Answer 5

All ppts went to 300V and 65% went to maximum.
.People are more obedient to authority figures
.Crimes against humanity may come from situational factors
.Not always evil people commit cries, ordinary people just follow orders.

Question 6

Negative Eval Milgram (eco)

Answer 6

Lacked ecological validity as was carried out in a lab under artificial conditions. Can’t generalise findings.

Question 7

Negative Eval Milgram (stimuli)

Answer 7

Artificial situation - people don’t normally receive orders to hurt others

Question 8

Negative Eval Milgram (gender)

Answer 8

Sample was biased. Only males were used, can’t generalise

Question 9

Positive Eval Milgram (procedure)

Answer 9

Was a standardised procedure as it was a lab experiment. Improves reliability of the study

Question 10

Negative Eval Milgram (internal)

Answer 10

Low internal validity, ppts behaved the way they did as they didn’t believe in the set up.

Question 11

Milgram Ethical Issues (lied)

Answer 11

Deception: Ppts believed they were shocking a real person. Also didn’t know that learner was a confederate.

Question 12

Name the 3 situational factors that affect obedience:

Answer 12

Proximity
Location
Uniform

Question 13

Affect of Proximity on Obedience:

Answer 13

People are more likely to obey an authority figure who is in close proximity. If they are distant its easier to resist their orders

Question 14

Affect of Location on Obedience:

Answer 14

Milgram conducted study at Yale, held respect and credibility in the eyes of ppts and thus made them more likely to obey.
When conducted in a run-down location, obedience was much lower

Question 15

Affect of Uniform on Obedience:

Answer 15

The Uniform of the authority figure can give them status (e.g. Milgram study, lab coat)
If experimenter is dressed normally, obedience falls

Question 16

Define dispositional factors:

Answer 16

Explanation of behaviour caused by internal characteristics.

Question 17

Define the authoritarian personality:

Answer 17

A person who favours an authoritarian social system, and admires obedience to authority figures

Question 18

2 main factors of the authoritarian personality:

Answer 18

The person is hostile to those who are of inferior status, but obedient to people of higher status.