SI: Situational Variables Affecting Obedience

Question 1

What is obedience?

Answer 1

A person will act in response to a direct order from someone who is an authority figure

Question 2

Milgram (1963)

Answer 2

Pps recruited through advertisement $4 hour
Yale university
Teacher: real participant
Learner: confederate. Had to recall word pairs and were shocked if they got them wrong. Strapped to chair with electrodes attached (so teacher thought they were actually getting shocked)

All pps. Reached 300 volts, only 12.5% refused to stop after this
65% continued to 450 volts

Question 3

Why were participants possibly obedient?

Answer 3

Yale university (prestigious)
Lab coats (authority)
Proximity (in separate room as learner. Obedience decreased when closer)

Question 4

Evaluation of Milgram’s 1963 study of obedience

Answer 4

Ethical issues- right to withdraw not known ❌
Deception ❌
Debriefed at the end ✔️
Internal validity: lack of realism- abnormal situation