Situational Variables Explaining Obedience Flashcards
What are the situational variables affecting obedience?
Proximity
Location
Uniform
What was Milgram’s aim when studying the situational variables explaining obedience?
To see how situational variables would cause larger or lesser obedience
What is proximity?
How physically close the teacher & learner are
How physically close the teacher & experimenter are
What were the different variations for proximity and what were the results?
Teacher and learner in the same room - 40%
Teacher forced learner’s hand onto “shock plate” - 30%
Experimenter gave instructions by telephone - 20.5%
What was the proximity in the original Milgram experiment?
Teacher and learner in adjoining rooms - could hear leaner but couldn’t see him
How did Milgram investigate location?
Milgram changed location from Yale University to a random building - 47.5%
How did Milgram investigate uniform?
Experimenter went away due to a phone call to be replaced by an “ordinary member of the public” wearing normal clothes - 20%
What were the strengths of Milgram’s investigation of the situational variables affecting obedience?
Research Support - Bickman (1974)
Cross-cultural replications
Good Control of variables
What was Bickman’s experiment (1974) (research support for Milgram)?
3 male researchers dresses in 3 uniforms asked pedestrians certain things - “pick this bag up for me”
80% conformed to the man with the guard’s uniform
Supports Milgram’s conclusion that uniform is a situational factor likely to produce obedience
How did Milgram’s study on variables affecting obedience have cross-cultural replications?
Miranda et al (1981) repeated the study and found similar results with Spanish students
Suggests Milgram’s results aren’t limited to American males
However, Smith and Bond (1998) pointed out it was only done in developed societies
How did Milgram have a good control of variables when studying the situational factors affecting obedience?
Variables highly controlled as he only changed 1 at a time and kept the rest constant
Replicated his variations on 1000 participants - valid and replicable
What are the weaknesses of Milgram’s study on the variables affecting obedience?
Lacks ecological validity
The obedience alibi (can’t excuse evil behaviour)
How did Milgram’s study on the variables affecting obedience lack ecological validity?
Orne and Holland criticised the original study and said that the participants may have shown DEMAND CHARACTERISTICS
Milgram realised there may have been demand characteristics when the experimenter was replaced as the situation was contrived
What is the obedience alibi?
David Mandel (1998) agues that these situational factors are weak excuse for evil behaviour
Feeble excuse to survivors of holocaust
Not beyond Nazi’s control to commit holocaust but Milgram’s research claims it was
