Situational variables affecting obedience Flashcards
What is obedience?
A form of social influence where the individual has arguably less choice whether to behave in a particular way.
What did Milgram’s study demonstrate?
That ordinary people are very obedient, even when asked to do something that goes against their own morality
Who conducted a study on obedience?
Milgram
How many participants were there in Milgram’s study?
40
What gender were all of Milgram’s participants?
Male
What was the false aim of Milgram’s study?
A study investigating how punishment affects learning
Why did Milgram tell his participants a false aim?
So they wouldn’t suffer demand characteristics
How many experimental confederates were there in Milgram’s study?
2
Who were the experimental confederates in Milgram’s study?
The experimenter, and a ‘volunteer participant’
How old was the confederate participant in Milgram’s study?
47
What were the two roles in Milgram’s study?
Teacher and learner
How were the roles in Milgram’s study assigned?
They drew lots
How was Milgram’s ‘random’ assignment rigged?
The confederate always was assigned as the ‘learner’
What was the task in Milgram’s study?
The teacher quizzed the learner on their ability to recall word pairs
What happened if Milgram’s ‘learner’ got a question wrong?
They were administered an electric shock
In what increment did Milgram’s electric shocks increase?
15 volts
In what proximity were Milgram’s learner and teacher?
Different rooms
Did the learner get the answers right in Milgram’s study?
No - but intentionally so
What prods did the experimenter give the teacher?
You have no other choice but to continue
What was the maximum voltage administered in Milgram’s study?
450 volts
What percentage of Milgram’s participants continued to 450 volts?
65%
What percentage of Milgram’s participants went to at least 300 volts?
100%
What did Milgram’s study appear to suggest?
It’s not evil people who commit common atrocities but ordinary people following orders
What are situational variables?
Circumstances that affect whether or not people obey
What are the 3 situational variables that affect obedience identified by Milgram?
Proximity, uniform and location
Where was Milgram’s baseline study conducted?
Yale University
Where was Milgram’s location variation conducted?
Run down offices
What did obedience drop to in Milgram’s location variation?
48%
Why did obedience drop when Milgram conducted his study in run down offices?
The participants perceived the researchers authority as less legitimate
Where were the teacher and learner in Milgram’s proximity variation?
In the same room
What did obedience drop to in Milgram’s proximity variation?
40%
What was Milgram’s touch proximity variation?
The teacher forced the learner’s hand on an electric plate
What did obedience drop to in Milgram’s touch proximity variation?
30%
What did obedience drop to in Milgram’s variation where instructions were given over the phone?
20.5%
Why does decreased proximity lead to increased obedience?
It allows people to psychologically distance themselves from the consequences of their own actions
What did the authority figure wear in Milgram’s baseline study?
White lab coat
In Milgram’s variation where the authority figure wore no uniform, what did obedience drop to?
20%
Why does the presence of uniform increase obedience?
They are associated as a symbol of authority
What is the agentic state?
When a person sees themself as an agent for carrying out another persons wishes.
What is the autonomous state?
Where an individual sees themself as responsible for their own actions
What is the agentic shift?
The shift from the autonomous state to the agentic state
In which study did participants exhibit an agentic shift?
Milgram’s
Why do people adopt an agentic state?
To maintain a positive self image
What is legitimate authority?
A person who has perceived authority in a social situation
What are the 4 AO3 points of the effect of situational variables on obedience?
1) Research support for role of uniform
2) Internal validity - lack of realism
3) Real world challenges
4) Unethical
Which two researchers conducted studies that support the role of uniform in obedience?
Bushman and Bickman
What 3 ‘uniforms’ did the female researcher in Bushman’s study wear?
Police officer, a business executive or a beggar
What did the researcher in Bushman’s study ask citizens to do?
Give another researcher money for an expired parking metre
In Bushman’s study, what percentage of the citizens obeyed the ‘police officer’?
72%
In Bushman’s study, what percentage of the citizens obeyed the ‘beggar’?
52%
In Bushman’s study, what percentage of the citizens obeyed the ‘business executive’?
48%
Why did the citizens in Bushman’s study say they obeyed the police officer?
Because she appeared to have authority
What were the 3 uniforms in Bickman’s study?
Milkman, security guard or civilian
What did the researcher in Bickman’s study ask citizens to do?
Pick up litter
In Bickman’s study, what percentage of the citizens obeyed the ‘security guard’?
76%
In Bickman’s study, what percentage of the citizens obeyed the ‘milkman’?
47%
In Bickman’s study, what percentage of the citizens obeyed the ‘civillian’?
30%
Why does Milgram’s task lack mundane realism?
As everyday obedience = following teachers instructions etc
Why is it likely that participants responded to demand characteristics in Milgram’s study?
Conducted at Yale university (legitimate location), participants would have trusted that no serious harm would be done to the ‘learner’
What real world situation can Milgram’s findings be applied to?
Reserve battalion 101
What were the men of the reserve battalion 101 asked to do?
Carry out the mass killing of Jews
In the reserve battalion 101, what did the commanding officer offer the men?
That men who didn’t feel up to it could be assigned another task
In the reserve battalion 101, how many men accepted the offer to be assigned another task?
Very few
How did Milgram justify his deception?
Avoided demand characteristics
What signs of distress did Milgram’s participants show?
Physiological and psychological
Give examples of the distress displayed by Milgram’s participants.
Uncontrollable seizures + many were crying, trembling + nervous laughing
