Situational variables affecting obedience Flashcards

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1
Q

What is obedience?

A

A form of social influence where the individual has arguably less choice whether to behave in a particular way.

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2
Q

What did Milgram’s study demonstrate?

A

That ordinary people are very obedient, even when asked to do something that goes against their own morality

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3
Q

Who conducted a study on obedience?

A

Milgram

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4
Q

How many participants were there in Milgram’s study?

A

40

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5
Q

What gender were all of Milgram’s participants?

A

Male

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6
Q

What was the false aim of Milgram’s study?

A

A study investigating how punishment affects learning

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7
Q

Why did Milgram tell his participants a false aim?

A

So they wouldn’t suffer demand characteristics

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8
Q

How many experimental confederates were there in Milgram’s study?

A

2

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9
Q

Who were the experimental confederates in Milgram’s study?

A

The experimenter, and a ‘volunteer participant’

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10
Q

How old was the confederate participant in Milgram’s study?

A

47

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11
Q

What were the two roles in Milgram’s study?

A

Teacher and learner

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12
Q

How were the roles in Milgram’s study assigned?

A

They drew lots

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13
Q

How was Milgram’s ‘random’ assignment rigged?

A

The confederate always was assigned as the ‘learner’

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14
Q

What was the task in Milgram’s study?

A

The teacher quizzed the learner on their ability to recall word pairs

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15
Q

What happened if Milgram’s ‘learner’ got a question wrong?

A

They were administered an electric shock

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16
Q

In what increment did Milgram’s electric shocks increase?

A

15 volts

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17
Q

In what proximity were Milgram’s learner and teacher?

A

Different rooms

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18
Q

Did the learner get the answers right in Milgram’s study?

A

No - but intentionally so

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19
Q

What prods did the experimenter give the teacher?

A

You have no other choice but to continue

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20
Q

What was the maximum voltage administered in Milgram’s study?

A

450 volts

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21
Q

What percentage of Milgram’s participants continued to 450 volts?

A

65%

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22
Q

What percentage of Milgram’s participants went to at least 300 volts?

A

100%

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23
Q

What did Milgram’s study appear to suggest?

A

It’s not evil people who commit common atrocities but ordinary people following orders

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24
Q

What are situational variables?

A

Circumstances that affect whether or not people obey

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25
Q

What are the 3 situational variables that affect obedience identified by Milgram?

A

Proximity, uniform and location

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26
Q

Where was Milgram’s baseline study conducted?

A

Yale University

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27
Q

Where was Milgram’s location variation conducted?

A

Run down offices

28
Q

What did obedience drop to in Milgram’s location variation?

A

48%

29
Q

Why did obedience drop when Milgram conducted his study in run down offices?

A

The participants perceived the researchers authority as less legitimate

30
Q

Where were the teacher and learner in Milgram’s proximity variation?

A

In the same room

31
Q

What did obedience drop to in Milgram’s proximity variation?

A

40%

32
Q

What was Milgram’s touch proximity variation?

A

The teacher forced the learner’s hand on an electric plate

33
Q

What did obedience drop to in Milgram’s touch proximity variation?

A

30%

34
Q

What did obedience drop to in Milgram’s variation where instructions were given over the phone?

A

20.5%

35
Q

Why does decreased proximity lead to increased obedience?

A

It allows people to psychologically distance themselves from the consequences of their own actions

36
Q

What did the authority figure wear in Milgram’s baseline study?

A

White lab coat

37
Q

In Milgram’s variation where the authority figure wore no uniform, what did obedience drop to?

A

20%

38
Q

Why does the presence of uniform increase obedience?

A

They are associated as a symbol of authority

39
Q

What is the agentic state?

A

When a person sees themself as an agent for carrying out another persons wishes.

40
Q

What is the autonomous state?

A

Where an individual sees themself as responsible for their own actions

41
Q

What is the agentic shift?

A

The shift from the autonomous state to the agentic state

42
Q

In which study did participants exhibit an agentic shift?

A

Milgram’s

43
Q

Why do people adopt an agentic state?

A

To maintain a positive self image

44
Q

What is legitimate authority?

A

A person who has perceived authority in a social situation

45
Q

What are the 4 AO3 points of the effect of situational variables on obedience?

A

1) Research support for role of uniform
2) Internal validity - lack of realism
3) Real world challenges
4) Unethical

46
Q

Which two researchers conducted studies that support the role of uniform in obedience?

A

Bushman and Bickman

47
Q

What 3 ‘uniforms’ did the female researcher in Bushman’s study wear?

A

Police officer, a business executive or a beggar

48
Q

What did the researcher in Bushman’s study ask citizens to do?

A

Give another researcher money for an expired parking metre

49
Q

In Bushman’s study, what percentage of the citizens obeyed the ‘police officer’?

A

72%

50
Q

In Bushman’s study, what percentage of the citizens obeyed the ‘beggar’?

A

52%

51
Q

In Bushman’s study, what percentage of the citizens obeyed the ‘business executive’?

A

48%

52
Q

Why did the citizens in Bushman’s study say they obeyed the police officer?

A

Because she appeared to have authority

53
Q

What were the 3 uniforms in Bickman’s study?

A

Milkman, security guard or civilian

54
Q

What did the researcher in Bickman’s study ask citizens to do?

A

Pick up litter

55
Q

In Bickman’s study, what percentage of the citizens obeyed the ‘security guard’?

A

76%

56
Q

In Bickman’s study, what percentage of the citizens obeyed the ‘milkman’?

A

47%

57
Q

In Bickman’s study, what percentage of the citizens obeyed the ‘civillian’?

A

30%

58
Q

Why does Milgram’s task lack mundane realism?

A

As everyday obedience = following teachers instructions etc

59
Q

Why is it likely that participants responded to demand characteristics in Milgram’s study?

A

Conducted at Yale university (legitimate location), participants would have trusted that no serious harm would be done to the ‘learner’

60
Q

What real world situation can Milgram’s findings be applied to?

A

Reserve battalion 101

61
Q

What were the men of the reserve battalion 101 asked to do?

A

Carry out the mass killing of Jews

62
Q

In the reserve battalion 101, what did the commanding officer offer the men?

A

That men who didn’t feel up to it could be assigned another task

63
Q

In the reserve battalion 101, how many men accepted the offer to be assigned another task?

A

Very few

64
Q

How did Milgram justify his deception?

A

Avoided demand characteristics

65
Q

What signs of distress did Milgram’s participants show?

A

Physiological and psychological

66
Q

Give examples of the distress displayed by Milgram’s participants.

A

Uncontrollable seizures + many were crying, trembling + nervous laughing