Obedience: Situational Variables

Question 1

What Did Milgram Do After His Study?

Answer 1

Carried out large no. of variations to consider situational variables that might create a difference in obedience.

Question 2

Situational Variables

Answer 2

Variables that might have caused change in obedience. Related to external circumstances rather than people’s personalities.

Question 3

What do the variables include?

Answer 3

Proximity, Location, Uniform

Question 4

Proximity

Answer 4

Teacher could hear learner but not see him. In 1st proximity variation they were in same room now. Obedience rate dropped from 65% to 40%. In 2nd proximity variation, teacher had to force learner’s hand onto electroshock plate when refused to answer q. Obedience dropped further. In 3rd experimenter gave orders by phone & obedience dropped. Participants pretended to give shocks or gave weaker shocks than they were supposed to.

Question 5

Location

Answer 5

Did exp. in run-down building rather than original place: Yale uni. Obedience fell.

Question 6

Uniform

Answer 6

Original exp: experimenters worn grey lab coats. This variation: ordinary member of public wearing normal clothes (confederate). Obedience dropped.

Question 7

Strength

Answer 7

Research support. A field exp was carried out where confederates stood on street with 3 uniforms: milkman, security guard, jacket&tie. Confederates asked public to pick up litter. People would obey twice as more to security guard than jacket & tie. Shows uniform coveys authority of its wearer and is a situational factor likely to produce obedience.

Question 8

Strength

Answer 8

Cross-cultural replications. Findings have been replicated in other cultures. Miranda et al found obedience rate of 90% amongst Spanish students. Shows Milgram’s findings are valid across cultures. However Spain and USA are similar in culture so it’s wrong to say it is valid.

Question 9

Strength

Answer 9

Control of variables. Altered one variable at a time and all others were kept the same.

Question 10

Weakness (Mandel)

Answer 10

Obedience alibi. Milgram said the situation variables are factors within situation that influence obedience. However Mandel said it was an excuse/alibi for evil behaviour. Offensive to Holocaust survivors to suggest that Nazis were simply obeying orders and were victims themselves of situational factors beyond their control.