Situational variables - A03

Question 1

What are strengths of situational variables?

Answer 1

• P: Strength = additional research support
• E: Bickman (1974) - confeederate in three different outifits: jacket and tie, milkman and security guard. Stood in the street and ordered people to do small task
• E: People were twice as likely to obey a person dressed as a security guard than dressed in a jacket and tie
• L: This supports the view that uniform has powerful effect on obedience
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• P: Strength = Milgram’s findings replicated in different cultures
• E: Meeus and Raajimakers (1986) - Dutch PPs ordered to say stressful things like insults in job interview with confederate - variation where person giving orders not in room
• E: 90% of PPs continued through the whole interview. However, when perosn giving orders not present, obedience greatly decreased
• L: This suggests that milgram’ findings not just linked limited to American males = external validity

Question 2

What is a limitation of situational variables?

Answer 2

• P: Limitation = low internal validity
• E: Orne and Holland (1968) - Milgram’s procedure was unrealistic - even more relevant in situational variations
• E: Milgram agreed variation where experimenter replaced by “member of public” was contrived - PPs maybe worked out truth of experiment
• L: This matters because PPs may been responding to demand characteristics in all Milgram’s findings