situational variables Flashcards
what d situational variables form?
an external explanation
what are seen as affecting obedience levels ?
features of an environment (aspects of a situation)
what are the 3 situational variables ?
- proximity
- location
- uniform
which 2 situational variables are investigated by Milgram ?
proximity and location
what is meant by proximity ?
- how aware of the consequences you are
what was the proximity in milgrams original study ?
the learner and the teacher were in 2 different rooms so the teacher couldn’t see the learner in pain
what was the proximity in milgram’s further studies ?
- the teacher held the learners hand down onto a fake shock plate in the same room
what happened when the proximity got closer ?
it influenced the p’s levels of obedience as the teacher could see the learners distress so the obedience declined to 62.5% to 40%
because the teacher had an increased realisation of their actions and the situation they were in was influencing their actions
In Milgram’s original study, what was the location ?
Yale University, an ivy league, high status institution
what will happen to obedience levels if you move to a location that adds to the perceived legitimacy of an authority figure and why ?
obedience levels will be higher
- because usually in institutionalised settings, obedience to authority figures is instilled
what location did Milgram use in his further studies ?
he peformed the study in an office block in a run down part of town
What were the obedience rates in further studies in a different location ? and why?
obedience rates dropped from 62.5% to 47.5%
- the legitimacy of the authority figure was reduced
which variable did Bickman study ?
uniform
what did Bickman do ?
he got a research assisstant to dress up in 3 costumes and ordered people on a New york street to pick up rubbish, loan a coin to a stranger or move away from a bus stop,
what percentage would obey his research assisstant if he was dressed in civilian clothes ?
19%
