situational variables - essay plan

Question 1

AO1 - introduction

Answer 1

after his initial study Milgram carried out a large number of variations in order to consider the situational variables that may affect obedience

Question 2

AO1 - proximity

Answer 2

• the physical closeness or distance of an authority figure to the person taking orders
• in the proximity variation the teacher and learner were in the same room - obedience rate dropped from 65% to 40%
• in the touch proximity variation the teacher had to force the learner’s hand onto an ‘electroshock plate’ - obedience dropped to 30%
• in the remote instruction variation the experimenter gave instructions over the phone - obedience reduced to 20.5%

Question 3

AO1 - location

Answer 3

• where the order is issued
• Milgram carried out a variation in a run-down office block rather than at Yale University - obedience fell to 47.5%

Question 4

AO1 - uniform

Answer 4

• a specific outfit that is symbolic of authority
• in baseline study experimenter wore a grey lab coat (as a symbol of authority)
• in one variation the experimenter was called away and the role of the experimenter was taken over by ‘a member of the public’ (a confederate) in every day clothes - obedience dropped to 20%

Question 5

AO3 - supported by field study (strength)

Answer 5

• Bickman’s New York field experiment demonstrates the influence of situational variables on obedience
• 3 confederates dressed in different outfits
  
  • jacket and tie
  • milkman’s outfit
  • security guard’s uniform
• confederates individually stood in the street, asking passers-by to perform tasks - e.g. picking up litter and handing them a coin
• people were twice as likely to obey the assistant dressed as a security guard, than the one in a jacket and tie
• this supports the view that a situational variable, such as uniform, can have a significant effect on obedience

Question 6

AO3 - cross-cultural replications (strength)

Answer 6

• Milgram’s findings have been replicated in other cultures
• Meeus and Raaijmakers used a more realistic procedure to study obedience in Dutch participants
  
  • participants had to say stressful things in an interview to someone (a confederate) desperate for a job - 90% obeyed
  • replicated Milgram’s findings on proximity - when the person giving orders wasn’t present obedience dramatically decreased
• this suggests Milgram’s findings about obedience aren’t just limited to males or Americans, but are valid across other cultures and also apply to females
• HOWEVER replications of Milgram’s research are in actual fact not particularly cross-cultural
  
  • all but 2 replications have been carried out in western cultures that aren’t dissimilar to the USA
  • therefore it may not be possible to conclude that Milgram’s findings are truly applicable to people in all or most cultures

Question 7

AO3 - low internal validity

Answer 7

• participants may have been aware the procedure was fake
• Orne and Holland criticised Milgram’s baseline study and say it is even more likely in his variations due to additional manipulation of variables
  
  • e.g. when experimenter was replaced by a member of the public even Milgram recognised some participants may have easily worked out the truth
• therefore we cannot conclude whether the findings are genuinely due to obedience or if the participants are simply responding to demand characteristics