Obedience and Resistance to Authority

Question 1

Define Obedience

Answer 1

Instructions given from someone with a higher status to someone of lower status who complies with the request or instruction

Question 2

Define Destructive Obedience

Answer 2

Obedience with negative consequences to someone or something - you should defy authority than adopt this technique

Question 3

Define Defiance

Answer 3

Resisting authority and refusing compliance - ie. Assisting Jews in Nazi Germany

Question 4

Define Authority figure/Legitimate Authority

Answer 4

A Person who is perceived to be in charge, usually high in status with the right to give instructions or orders in a given situation.

Question 5

Define Dissent

Answer 5

Refusal to comply with a request from an authority figure (also known as defiance or disobedience)

Question 6

Define Sample

Answer 6

Group of people , sometimes called ‘subjects’ whose behaviour is being measured in the study

Question 7

Define Sampling method

Answer 7

How the sample have been recruited for the study

Question 8

Define Volunteer Sample

Answer 8

Sample of people who volunteered to participate, usually in response to recruitment via advertisements

Question 9

Define Naive Participant

Answer 9

A participant who is unaware of the aims of the study or other elements of the situation/task

Question 10

Who is Milgram?

Answer 10

A scientists who is famous for his obedience experiments

Question 11

What theory was Milgram trying to prove in regards to factors of obedience?

Answer 11

He investigated the “Germans are different” theory stating all Germans have a basic character flaw, leading them to blindly follow authority figures, no matter what instructions they give.He wanted to prove this was correct by conducting two experiments, one in America and the other in Germany to compare Obedience levels.

Question 12

Describe Milgram’s experiment

Answer 12

1963: He advertised in a newspaper for participants in a memory study and introduced them to Mr Wallace (a confederate) and they drew lots to see who would be the learner or the teacher( this was rigged so Mr Wallace was ALWAYS the learner). Teacher watched as learner was strapped into an electrode ( for shocks that increased by 15 volts with every incorrect answer) and the teacher was given a 45V shock for authenticity. Teacher told to shock learner with every wrong answer ~ if teacher refused, they were prompted but if refused constantly the experiment was stopped.

Question 13

What were Milgram’s findings?

Answer 13

All participants continued to 300V (Learner said to be unconscious) and 65% continued to the maximum voltage.

Question 14

What did Milgram’s findings suggest?

Answer 14

The high obedience in the sample of 40 white American men suggests blind obedience isn’t restricted to a category.

Question 15

Why is obedience necessary?

Answer 15

Useful characteristic in society as it’s an evolutionary trait as society functions more effectively with rules, than with anarchy.

Question 16

What were the strengths of Milgram’s study? (2)

Answer 16

Non Bias (cause-and-effect easily recognised)
Controlled Procedures (experiments exactly the same - replicable and reproducible)

Question 17

What were the four main weaknesses of Milgram’s study?

Answer 17

Unethical behaviour (anxiety produced, unprepared for the stage it got to & repetition)
Right to withdraw given only in theory as pressured to stay
Only partial consent obtained (under false circumstances - memory not obedience
Basic study lacked Validity (reality vs. laboratory).

Question 18

What was Experiment 7?

Answer 18

It was a variation on Milgram’s original study using distance as the independent variable.

Question 19

Why did Milgram think Experiment 7 was necessary?

Answer 19

Milgram thought that as the participant had responded to the newspaper advertisement, they had already built a relationship with the experimenter and so were more likely to obey

Question 20

What did Experiment 7 do?

Answer 20

It varied the distance between the experimenter and the participant to see whether this would affect obedience levels.

Question 21

Describe the method used in Experiment 7.

Answer 21

Experimenter gave instructions in person at the start but then left and conveyed further instructions through the telephone

Question 22

What were the findings of Experiment 7?

Answer 22

9/40 obeyed to the maximum voltage

Some tried to deceive the experimenter by giving lower voltages than was intended by experimenter

Question 23

What did these findings of Experiment 7 conclude?

Answer 23

Proximity is a key factor in obedience

Question 24

What are the strengths of Experiment 7? (2)

Answer 24

Included the same procedure meaning the variables changed (distance) were considered to be the deciding variable
Varied presence in other experiments support this claim

Question 25

What were the weaknesses of Experiment 7?

Answer 25

Unnatural situation
Participant was in an unautonomous state, weakening validity
Participants may not have believed in the shocks, also weakening validity

Question 26

What was Experiment 10?

Answer 26

It was a variation on Milgram’s original study using prestige as the independent variable.

Question 27

Why did Milgram think Experiment 10 was necessary?

Answer 27

Milgram thought the power entrenched in the location (Yale) may have affected obedience levels

Question 28

What happened in Experiment 10?

Answer 28

Used exactly the same procedure but changed the location to a run down office block

Question 29

What were the findings of Experiment 10?

Answer 29

The location change gave participants more doubts but they conveyed the same amount of tension as in Yale
Levels of obedience dropped from 65% to 47.5% (insignificant)

Question 30

What did the findings of Experiment 10 conclude?

Answer 30

Location didn’t significantly change obedience levels and therefore there was a lack of evidence in having a ‘legitimate’ setting and high obedience levels.

Question 31

What were the strengths of Experiment 10? (2)

Answer 31

Increase in validity ( real life situation)

Same procedure as original meaning cause-and-effect conclusion was easily drawn

Question 32

What were the weaknesses of Experiment 10? (3)

Answer 32

Question on validity as there was no significant obedience level drops
Real life settings should measure ‘real’ obedience levels but control took some of that away
A drop in levels, though insignificant, hows Yale to lack validity

Question 33

What was Experiment 13?

Answer 33

It was a variation on Milgram’s original study using authority and appearance as the independent variable

Question 34

What was the procedure for Experiment 13?

Answer 34

Used the same procedure
The experimenter gave instructions about shocking learner but didn’t say anything about ampage. The accomplice, known to the participant as the time keeper, suggest upping ampage with every incorrect answer.

Question 35

What were the findings of Experiment 13?

Answer 35

16/20 didn’t follow the ordinary man’s instructions,going as far as to restrain the ordinary man when he goes to u p the ampage whereas 4/20 went up to 450V.

Question 36

What does this suggest about authority?

Answer 36

It suggests that authority is a key factor in obedience levels

Question 37

What are the strengths of Experiment 13? (3)

Answer 37

Same procedure allows for a direct comparison
Reliable as used in different variations with similar levels of disobedience
Saw accomplice draw lots (rigged) just like participant, meaning participants perceives them both to be of the same authority level

Question 38

What are the weaknesses of Experiment 13? (6)

Answer 38

Still significant amount of authority: apparatus and approval from Yale
Having another ‘participant’ may not be enough to remove the power difference
Artificial Surroundings
Changes to trust if trusting experimenter
Validity decreases when ordinary gives instructions
Experimenter leaving creates awkwardness and undermines credibility (lack of validity)

Question 39

What do all of these experiments say about obedience?

Answer 39

Obedience was highest in the original experiment meaning obedience is related to authority

Question 40

What are situational factors?

Answer 40

Circumstances that make a person more or less likely to obey (also known as the ‘environment’)

Question 41

What are the three main situational factors?

Answer 41

Proximity of Authority, Clothing/ Appearance, and Title/Status

Question 42

Define dispositional factors

Answer 42

a characteristic or feature of an individual that may have an impact on their thoughts, feelings and behaviour.

Question 43

Define perceived legitimacy

Answer 43

The person is seen as having the authority to give the order, this may be indicated or suggested by their title, appearance such as smart dress or uniform, or name badge/staff lanyard, or the nature of their surroundings.

Question 44

Define Social Support

Answer 44

having other people with you - you are not alone with the authority figure, but have others with you to back you up.