Situational variables eval Flashcards

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1
Q

The danger of the situational perspective

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Milgram concluded that situational factors determine obedience – people obey because of pressures in the situation that they are powerless to resist. For example, if an authority figure is wearing a uniform people are more likely to obey even if the orders are destructive.
However, Mandel (1998) argues that this perspective provides an excuse (or ‘alibi’) for destructive obedience (e.g. ‘I was just following orders’). People can excuse their antisocial behaviour because it isn’t their fault.
Furthermore, Milgram’s perspective overlooks the role of dispositional factors (e.g. your personality characteristics). Some people may be more obedient – either as a consequence of genetics or because of their upbringing. This may be just as important in determining whether people obey authority.
This suggests that Milgram’s explanation based solely on situational factors is likely to oversimplify the causes of obedience. Mandel is right to argue that attributing the Holocaust to situational pressures while ignoring the role of disposition is offensive to survivors.

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2
Q

Research support

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One strength is that other studies have demonstrated the influence of situational variables on obedience.
In a field experiment in New York City, Leonard Bickman (1974) had three confederates dress in different outfits - jacket and tie, a milkman’s outfit and a security guard’s uniform. The confederates individually stood in the street and asked passers-by to perform tasks such as picking up litter or handing over a coin for the parking meter. People were twice as likely to obey the assistant dressed as a security guard than the one dressed in jacket and tie.
This supports the view that a situational variable, such as a uniform; does have a powerful effect on obedience.

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3
Q

Cross-cultural replications

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Another strength of Milgram’s research is that his findings have been replicated in other cultures, For instance, Wim Meeus and Quintin Raaijmakers (1986) used a more realistic procedure than Milgram’s to study obedience in Dutch participants. The participants were ordered to say stressful things in an interview to someone (a confederate) desperate for a job. 90% of the participants obeyed. The researchers also replicated Milgram’s findings concerning proximity. When the person giving the orders was not present, obedience decreased dramatically.
This suggests that Milgram’s findings about obedience are not just limited to Americans or men, but are valid across cultures and apply to women too

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4
Q

Counterpoint However

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Counterpoint However, replications of Milgram’s research are not very ‘cross-cultural! Peter Smith and Michael Bond (1998) identified just two replications between 1968 and 1985 that took place in India and Jordan - both countries culturally quite different from the US. Whereas the other countries involved (e.g. Spain, Australia, Scotland) are culturally quite similar to the US (e.g. they have similar notions about the role of authority).
Therefore, it may not be appropriate to conclude that Milgram’s findings (including those about proximity, location and uniform) apply to people in all or most cultures.

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5
Q

Low internal validity

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One limitation is that participants may have been aware the procedure was faked.
Martin Orne and Charles Holland (1968) made this criticism of Milgram’s baseline study. They point out that it is even more likely in his variations because of the extra manipulation of variables. A good example is the variation where the Experimenter is replaced by a ‘member of the public’ Even Milgram recognised that this situation was so contrived that some participants may well have worked out the truth.
Therefore, in all of Milgram’s studies it is unclear whether the findings are genuinely due to the operation of obedience or because the participants saw through the deception and just ‘play-acted’ demand charter sisters

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