Situational Variables - Milgram

Question 1

What are the three situational variables affecting obedience?
[3]

Answer 1

1. Proximity
2. Location
3. Uniform

Question 2

What are the three ways Milgram changed proximity?
[3]

Answer 2

1. teacher and learner were in same room
2. in touch proximity variation teacher had to force learners hand to an electroschock plate when he didn’t answer question
3. in remote instruction variation, experimenter left the room and gave instructions to teacher by telephone

Question 3

What was the change in obedience rate when teacher and learner were in same room in proximity variation?

Answer 3

obedience rate dropped from 65% to 40%

Question 4

What was the change in obedience rate for touch proximity variation?

Answer 4

dropped to 30%

Question 5

What was the change in obedience rate in remote instruction proximity variation?

Answer 5

obedience reduced to 20.5%

Question 6

Explain the findings for the Proximity variations.
[2]

Answer 6

• decreased proximity allows people to be psychologically distant from consequence of actions
• When Teacher and Learner were physically seperated, teacher less aware of harm caused

Question 7

Explain how Location in Study was affected.
[5]

Answer 7

• Milgram’s original study was at Yale Uni (prestigious)
• This time, it was at run down office block
• Obedience fell to 47.5 %
• the prestigious uni environment gave legitimacy and authority
• participants were more obedient in location because they percieved that experimenter shared this legitimacy and obedience was expected

Question 8

How was Uniform affected in Study?
[4]

Answer 8

• In original, experiment wore grey lab coat as authority symbol
• In one variation, “ordinary member of public” had to replace experimenter withe everyday clothes
• Rate dropped to 20%
• Uniforms ‘encourage’ obedience because they’re symbols of authority - legitimate

Question 9

other studies showed influence of situational variables on obedience

What is a strength of Milgram’s research into situational variables.
[5]

Answer 9

1. Other studies showed influence of situational variables on obedience
2. In a field experiment Bickman had confederates dressed up with - jacket and tie and security guard’s uniform
3. Confederates stood in street and asked people to do tasks like picking up litter or handing over coin for meter
4. People were twice as likely to obey security guard than jacket and tie
5. Shows unifrom has powerful effect on obedience

Question 10

The participants may have been aware that the procedure is faked

What’s a limitation of Milgram’s research into situational variables.
[4]

Answer 10

1. The participants may have been aware that the procedure is faked
2. Orne and Holland made the criticism of Milgram’s baseline study - it’s even more likely in variations because of extra manipulation of variables
3. The variation where ‘experimenter was replaced by member of public’ is very contrived
4. It’s unclear whether findings are genuinely due to operation of obedience or because participants ‘play acted’