social influence 2

Question 1

what are the 4 explanations for obedience

Answer 1

situational variables (proximity, location, uniform)
legitimacy of authority
agentic state
authoritarian personality

Question 2

what are situational explanations

Answer 2

external factors impacting obedience (situational factors)

Question 3

what are social-psychological explanations

Answer 3

influence of other people on obedience (legitimacy of authority and agentic state)

Question 4

what are dispositional explanations

Answer 4

internal characteristics explaining obedience (authoritarian personality)

Question 5

what 3 factors did milgram change from his original experiment

Answer 5

proximity
location
uniform

Question 6

how did milgram change proximity and how did it affect obedience rates

Answer 6

one variation where teacher and learner were in the same room. Obedience dropped from 65% to 40%. Another variation the experimenter gave instructions over the phone in which obedience dropped to 21%

Question 7

how did milgram change location and how did it affect obedience rates

Answer 7

Milgram moved the experiment from yale university to a run down building in connecticut. When the presteege was gone obedience rate dropped to 47.5%

Question 8

how did milgram change uniform and how did it affect obedience rates

Answer 8

he changed the experimenters outfit from a grey lab coat to everyday clothing. Obedience rates dropped to 20%

Question 9

evaluate situational variables
(support uniforms)

Answer 9

Uniform is a valid explanation of obedience. Bickman had 3 confederates dressed as a pedestrian, a milkman and a security guard ask people to pick up litter. The security guard had the highest obedience at 76% comparing to the pedestrian at 30%. Supports the explanation as it shows uniform does effect obedience in everyday situations. This is consistent with milgram’s findings making the results more reliable.

Question 10

evaluate situational variables
(demand characteristics)

Answer 10

Milgram’s study lacks internal validity as there were demand characteristics. It’s possible participants worked out the procedure was fake particularly when the experimenter was replaced by a member of the public. This means the results are invalid as people did not act naturally meaning milgram couldn’t measure the effect of the variables. This weakens the evidence supporting this explanation

Question 11

evaluate situational variables
(other cultures)

Answer 11

The studies have been replicated in other cultures. Miranda et al. found an obedience rate of over 90% amongst spanish students suggesting it’s valid across the world. Replicability across cultures shows validity in milgram’s results

Question 12

evaluate situational variables
(systematically)

Answer 12

when researching situational variables, milgram systematically altered one variable at a time. For example when testing the effect of uniform he kept proximity and location the same. We can therefore be sure of the impact of each and not worry about extraneous variables. THis increases the validity and adds to psychology’s recognition as a science.

Question 13

evaluate situational variables
(criticised)

Answer 13

Extraneous variables are criticised for providing an excuse for evil acts. Mandel suggested it was offensive to holocaust survivors to suggest nazizs were simply victims themselves of these variables beyond their control. Although these things do affect obedience it’s not a very sensitive explanation and can be viewed critically

Question 14

what is the legitimacy of authority explanation

Answer 14

an explanation that suggests people are more likely to obey people who they perceive to have authority over them justified by a person’s position of power in a social hierarchy. If an authority figure is seen as legitimate, they’re granted permission to punish others.

Question 15

evaluate the legitamacy of authority explanation
(blass schmitt)

Answer 15

there is supporting evidence for this explanation. Blass and schmitt showed milgrams study to students and asked who they thought as responsible for the harm. Students blamed the experimenter. This shows that the students recognised ligitamate authority as a cause of obedience

Question 16

evaluate the legitamacy of authority explanation
(cultures)

Answer 16

this explanation can explain cultural differences in obedience. studies show countries differ in the degree people are obedient to authority. eg replications found that 16% of Australian participants went all the way to 450V compared to germany’s 85%. this shows some cultures authority figurs are more acceptd and therefore entitled to demand. This reflects the way different society’s are structured and how children are raised to perceive authority.

Question 17

evaluate the legitamacy of authority explanation
(hiarachy)

Answer 17

this explanation does not explain obedience in a hiarachy where authority is widely accepted. E.g rank and jacobsons nurse study showed differences in obedience in nurses all working under the same doctor. This suggests the importance of individual factors. This shows other factors may be a better explanation of obedience e.g authoritarian personality.

Question 18

evaluate the legitamacy of authority explanation
(war crimes)

Answer 18

This explanation has real life applications such as how war crimes occour. Some psychologists argue that the my lai massacre xan be understood in terms of power hiarachy. Soilders argued those higher than them were authority and they just listened to their orders. This shows there are real life evidence of legitimacy of authority leading to practical applications such as how to prevent crimes in the future.

Question 19

evaluate the legitamacy of authority explanation
(milgram)

Answer 19

Theres evidence to support this theory from milgrams reasearch. when the study occoured at yale obedience rate was 65% however when it occoured in a run down building, obedience dropped to 48%. This change reduced legitimacy so participants were less likely to trust the experiment. Participants were less likely to obey, guiding future researchers planning their experiments.

Question 20

what is the agentic state?

Answer 20

a social-psychological explanation whereby other people influence the likelhood that someone is going to obey. the agentic shift is a change a person goes through where they go from an autonomous state where they feel responsible for theirown actions to an agentic state. this is where a person feelsno personal responsibility for their behavior, handing this over to the authority. this person will experience high anxiety

Question 21

how did milgram test the agentic state

Answer 21

he had another confederate administer the shocks on behalf of the teacher. Obedience rates increased from 65% to 92.5%

Question 22

evaluate the agentic shift
(not obey)

Answer 22

This explanaton does not explain why some participants in milgram’s experiment didn’t obey. This explanation suggests all participants should have obeyed and handed reponsibility to the experimenter, but only 65% did. This suggests the agentic shift only accounts for some situations.

Question 23

evaluate the agentic shift
(hofling et al)

Answer 23

This explanation does not explain hofling et al’s findings. The explanation suggests that as the nurses handed responsibility over to the doctor they should have felt moral strain as they understood what they were doing is wrong, but they did not. this suggests at best the agentic shift only accounts for some situations

Question 24

evaluate the agentic shift
(blass and schmitt)

Answer 24

Blass and schmitt showed a video of milgrams reasearch to students and asked them to identify who was responsible. Students blamed the experimenter. students felt responsibility was on the experimenter and therfore it is easy to see how the teacher would have given up responsibility and entered the agentic state. this suggests it’s an accurate explanation, increasing validity