Situational variables affecting Obedience Flashcards
obedience
type of social influence where a person acts in response to an order from another person who usually has authority or power
features of obedience
- within a hierarchy
- emphasis on power
- requirement to change explicit
- behaviour may be different from the source
Milgram’s aims
to see if people obey orders against their own morality
Milgram’s findings
- 65% went up to 450v
- all ppts went up to 300v and only 5 stopped there
- ppts showed signs of distress through sweating, laughing and fidgeting
Milgram’s conclusions
most people will obey an authority figure even if it goes against their own moral code
obedience: ppts were female
- remained 65%
- women reported feeling more stressed
- gender differences isn’t a major factor in obedience
obedience: proximity
- teacher and learner in room: 40%
- touch proximity: 30%
- experimenter absent: 21%
obedience: location
- moved From Yale to rundown office
- dropped to 48%
- less powerful authority due to lack of association with yale
uniform- Bushman 1988
stopped ppl in the street asking them to give change to someone for parking
- police: 72%
- businesswomen: 48%
- beggar: 52%
uniform conveys authority
obedience limitations
Lacks population validity (40 white USA males), ethical issues (deception +psych harm), lacks eco validity (at Yale w an artificial task)
obedience strengths
uniform effect obedience e.g Bickman
