Obedience (SI) Flashcards
Obedience definition
Involves individuals following a direct order from a person (usually in a figure of authority) who has the power to punish when obedient behaviour does not occur
Destructive obedience definition
When an individual obeys an order to do something immoral, which causes the individual carrying out the order distress + regret
Social influence definition
Process by which individuals + groups change each other’s attitudes and behaviours
Milgram’s original experiment aim
- To know if Germans were different + more obedient to authority figures than in other countries
- To know if ordinary citizens would obey an unjust order from an authority figure even if inflicting pain
Milgram’s experiment procedure
- 40 male participants who responded to advert in newspaper for experiment on ‘punishment and learning ‘
- laboratory at Yale university met my mr Wallace the experimenter
- one assigned role of teacher and one learner
- teacher watched learner strapped onto elective chair and was given simple electric shock
- learner wasn’t actually strapped to chair for experiment
- learner was in adjoining room and teacher gave electric shock when learner made mistake
- electric shock increased and learner (pre-recorded) screams became more loud each time
- 330 volts guava illusion learner was passed out
- Experimenter continued until teacher refused to continue but experimenter tried make teacher continue
Milgram’s experiment findings
- all participants went to at least 300 volts and 65% continues to 450 volts
- participants showed extreme tension
- three participants had seizures
- different to what was predicted as only 3% would do 450 volts
Milgram’s experiment conclusion
- ordinary people will obey unjust orders
- Germans aren’t different to their people from other countries
Milgram’s experiment - 3 limitations
- Ethics (participants decieved)
- Validity (not applies to real life as tested in lab)
- Generalisability (only used male volunteers)
Milgram’s experiment - 2 strengths
- Reliability (other studies found similar results)
- Validity (further support by Sheridan and king where real shocks given to puppies)
Issues in Milgram’s study
- Right to withdraw
- Informed consent
- Deception
- Protection from harm
Right to withdraw issue explaination in milgram
- study was very unethical
- he encourages participants to proceed to address issue
Informed consent explanation in Milgram
- milgram didn’t say why studies were used for
- gave debrief to address these issues
Deception explanation in milgram
- didn’t tell participants shocks weren’t real
- gave debrief to address issue
Protection from harm explanation for milgram
- some had seizures
Types of situational variables
- Proximity
- Location
- Uniform
Situational variable definition
Features of an environment that impact the degree to which individuals obey
Proximity definition
Physical closeness or distance of an authority figure to the person they are giving an order to
Location definition
Place where an order is issued
Uniform definition
Clothes an authority figure wears that symbolise their position of authority
Proximity examples for milgram
- in adjoining rooms (65% obeyed)
- in same room (40% obeyed)
- teacher forces learners hand on electroshock plate (30% obeyed)
- experimenter in different room to teacher (20.5% obeyed)
- closer to authority figure more likely to obey
Location examples
- Yale uni (65% obeyed)
- run down building (47.5% obeyed)
- obedience drops in less professional environment
Uniform examples in milgram
- experimenter wearing everyday clothes rather than grey lab coat (dropped to 20% obedience)
Legitimacy of Authority definition
An explanation of obedience which suggests people are more likely to obey people who they think have authority over them
-e.g teacher, parent or police officer
What are the 4 explaination of obedience?
- Situational variables
- Legitimacy of authority
- Agentic state
- Authoritarian personality
