Obedience - Situational variables

Question 1

What were the situational variables?

Answer 1

• Milgram identified several factors in his research that he believed influenced the level of obedience shown by participants. They are all related to the external circumstances rather than to the personalities of the people involved.

Question 2

What were the proximity variables?
(the physical closeness of the teacher to the victim (learner) in Milgram’s studies.

Answer 2

1. Teacher and learner in the same room - 40%
2. Teacher forces learner’s hand onto the plate - 30%
3. The experimenter gave orders by phone - 20.5%

Question 3

What were the location variables?
(the place where an order is issued)

Answer 3

1. Change of location from Yale University to run-down office - 47.5%

Question 4

What were the uniform variables?
(the outfit of an authority figure that is symbolic of their authority)

Answer 4

1. The experimenter was played by a ‘member of public’ wearing everyday clothes - 20%

Question 5

(AO3) What is a strength of the study?
(1)

Answer 5

Research support:

Question 6

(AO3) What is a strength of the study?
(2)

Answer 6

Cross-cultural replications:

Question 7

(AO3) What is a weakness of the study?

Answer 7

Lack of internal validity: