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