Obedience

Question 1

What is obedience?

Answer 1

• Acting in accord with a direct order or command
• Behaviour change produced by a command from authority or an authoritative figure

—> Obedience from legitimate authority is integral for a functioning society. BUT blind obedience is dangerous (eg. Holocaust)

Question 2

Authoritarian personality and rebuttle

Answer 2

Adorno et al. (1950)
Explained he holocaust by saying German nature was innately violet or aggressive

Rebuttle: Hannah Arendt (1965) - evil is performed by ordinary people

Question 3

Hannah Arendt (1965) lead to…

Answer 3

Milgrams experiments on obedience (1963, 1974)

Participants administer a shock to learners when they make a mistake
—> findings
- 65% of participants administered 450volts when it was predicted that none would go all the way to 450
- High tension generated under this pressure

Question 4

Name the variations of migrams experiment

Answer 4

Alternative variations
- women = 65%
- voice feedback (hear protests = 62.5%
- proximity condition (see learners) = 40%
- touch-proximity condition = 38%
- institutional context = 48%
- subjects choice of shock = only administered lowest shock

Question 5

Explanations for obedience

Answer 5

Contextual - if the location is viewed as prestigious and highly respected, situation is considered meaningful and significant
Authority - taught to obey orders from childhood and can enter an agentic state of thinking by diffusing responsibility to authoritative figure.

Question 6

Ethical issues with Milgram’s experiment

Answer 6

Baumrind (1964) - argued Ss could have been psychologically harmed due to tension during experiment, retrospective realisation about their own character, and humiliation during debreif.

HOWEVER
Milgram responded with 84% glad they participated with 74% learning something and only 1% sorry to have participated in experiment
“The participant rather the eternal critic must be the ultimiate source of judgement”
APA committee response

Question 7

Studies since Milgram

Answer 7

Hofling et al., 1966
- Study obedience of nurse administering over the drug dosage by order from remote doctor who they did not know
—> 21 out of 22 administered

Burger, 2009
- Replication of milgrams study with adjustments (stopped at 150Volts) with a teacher confederate who modelled refusal at 90Volts “I don’t think i can do this anymore”
- 60% continued rather than 80%. The base condition saw 7% more continue after 150v compared to modelled refusal

Question 8

Reevaluation of Milgram’s experiment Haslam & Reicher (2012)

Answer 8

• Agentic state may not be sufficient as explanation for obedient behaviour
• Social identity theory more satisfactory
  —> Placing ppl in different grops
• Obedient behaviour can be understood as knowing, active and creative