obedience Flashcards
what is obedience
type of social influence which causes a person to act in response to an order given by another person
who is the person normally giving orders
usually someone with power/ authority
what was Milgrams aim
to examine whether people would obey orders from an authority figure even if it gets against their conscience
how was it decided who would be the teacher and learner in Milgrams experiment
randomly - drawing straws
however it was fixed so the participant would always be the teacher
what percentage of participants continued to the highest voltage in Milgrams experiment
65%
what was the highest voltage level
450 volts
how many variations of the experiment did Milgram carry out
18
what would happen if the teacher would refuse to administer the shock
the experiment would give a series of prods to ensure they continued
explanation for the behaviour of the participants who continued to maximum voltage
the situation they were in influenced the, and caused them to behave in the way they did
ordinary people are likely to follow orders given by an authority figure
obedience to authority is ingrained in us from how we are brought up
what were the participants told the experiment was about
learning
how much did obedience drop by when the experimenter was dressed as a member of the public
20%
limitations of Milgrams experiment
low internal validity
why does Milgrams experiment have low internal validity
participants may have been aware that the procedure was faked especially in the variations as they involved extra manipulation of variables
unclear whether findings are due to participants being obedient or that they saw through the deception
strengths of Milgrams experiment
other studies have demonstrated influence of situational variables on obedience
another study other than Milgrams that demonstrated influence of situational variables on obedience
field experiment in New York City where 3 confederates dressed up as a security guard, milkman and one in a jacket and tie who all asked passers by to perform activities.
people were twice as likely to obey the assistant dressed as a security guard than in a jacket and tie
what is the opposite of being in an agent state
being in a autonomous state
what is agentic state
where an individual gives up their autonomy and moral responsibility to an authority figure
they become an ‘agent’ to the authority figure
what is autonomous state
where a person is free to behave according to their own principles and feels a sense of responsibility for their won actions
what is the agentic shift and why might it happen
shift from autonomy to agency
may happen if a person perceives someone else as an authority figure possibly because they have a higher position in social hierarchy
what are binding factors
aspects of the situation that allow the person to minimise the damaging effect of their behaviour and reduce the ‘moral strain’ they are feeling
what is the main reason why people may remain in an agentic state
binding factors
what is legitimacy of authority
people who hold authority that is agreed by society - parents, teachers, bouncers
consequences of legitimacy of authority
people are granted power to punish others, we are willing to give up some of our independence and hand control of our behaviour to people we trust to exercise authority appropriately
can also become destructive powerful leaders can use their powers for destructive purposes
