Social Influence: Explanations of Obedience - JA Flashcards
Define obedience
Where somebody acts in response to a direct order (1) from a perceived authority figure (1)
What is the key term for the following definition?
When someone reacts to a direct order from a perceived authority figure
Obedience
Which key researcher investigated if individuals would obey the orders of an authority figure, even if it led to negative consequences?
Milgram
What did Milgram AIM to investigate in his original study?
If individuals would obey the orders of an authority figure, even if it led to negative consequences
Who conducted a lab experiment at Yale University?
Milgram
What experimental method did Milgram use in his original obedience research and where did he conduct it?
Lab experiment at Yale University
Who were Milgram’s sample in his original obedience research?
40 American males aged 20-50
Who studied 40 American males aged 20-50? Were they investigating obedience or conformity?
Milgram investigating obedience
What was the teacher’s role (the real participant) in Milgram’s original experiment?
Deliver electric shocks to the learner
Who delivered electric shocks to the learner in Milgram’s original experiment?
The teacher (the participant)
What role did the confederate (fake participant) play in Milgram’s original obedience research?
The learner
In Milgram’s experiment, the learner was a fake participant. What is the key term for this?
A confederate
The shocks on the machine in Milgram’s research ranged from 15 volts to?
450 volts
The maximum voltage on Milgram’s shock machine was?
450 volts
What voltage did the shocks begin at on Milgram’s electric shock machine?
15 volts
The experimenter in Milgram’s researcher was giving orders to the teacher. What was the experimenter perceived as?
An authority figure
Who was the perceived authority figure in Milgram’s research?
The experimenter
The experimenter used prompts if the ‘teacher’ (participant) refused to shock the learner. Name two prompts the experimenter used.
- “Please continue (or please go on).”
- “The experiment requires that you continue.”
- “It is absolutely essential that you continue.”
- “You have no other choice; you must go on.”
What voltage did ALL participants in Milgram’s original study go up to when shocking the learners?
300 volts
What percentage of participants went to at least 300 volts in Milgram’s original obedience research?
100%/ All participants
What percentage of teachers (participants) went to the maximum 450 volts when shocking the learners in Milgram’s original study?
65%
65% of participants went to what voltage on the electric shock machine when shocking learners in Milgram’s original obedience research?
450 volts
What percentage of teachers (participants) stopped shocking learners at 300 volts in Milgram’s original research?
12.5%
12.5% of the teachers (participants) in Milgram’s original research did what?
stopped shocking learners at 300 volts
Name three situational variables that affect obedience
location
proximity
uniform
Proximity, location and uniform are all examples of what?
Situational variables affecting obedience
In Milgram’s original experiment obedience rates were 65% these dropped to what percentage when the experimenter left the room and gave instructions by telephone?
20.5%
In the proximity condition of Milgram’s research, what did he change when obedience levels dropped to 20.5%?
The experimenter left the room and gave orders to the teacher over the telephone
What situational variable affecting obedience is being investigated when the experimenter left the room and gave orders to the teacher over the telephone?
proximity
How did Milgram investigate location as a situational variable affecting obedience?
The location was changed from a prestigious university to a run-down office
What situational variable is Milgram investigating when he changes the experiment from a prestigious university to a run down office?
Location
What did the obedience rate drop from and to when the location of Milgram’s research changed to a run down office?
65% to 48%
Why do obedience rates drop to 20.5% when the experimenter leaves the room and gives orders to the teacher over the phone?
The closer an authority figure is to an individual, the more perceived authority they have and the more obedient that individual will be.
Why did obedience levels drop when the location of Milgram’s research changed to a run down office?
The amount of perceived authority the experimenter had was reduced meaning individuals were less likely to obey
What are the two explanations of obedience?
Legitimacy of authority and Agentic State
legitimacy of authority and agentic state are examples of what
explanations of obedience
What is meant by legitimacy?
Whether we accept something to be true
What is meant by Legitmacy of authority?
whether we accept the power and status of authority figures
What is an authority figure?
someone we believe to have power
Give an example of an authority figure
parent, teacher, police officers
Who determines the power and status of authority figures?
Society
What does society determine in relation to authority figures?
their power and status
When we see someone as being a legitimate authority figure what do we accept?
Their credentials and believe they know what they are doing
What is ingrained in us from an early age when in the presence of an authority figure?
To Obey
How do we know we need to obey authority figure?
it is ingrained in us from an early age.
What is ingrained in us from an early age?
To obey authority figures.
How do we know we are in the presence of an authority figure?
Uniform and location
What can affect the legitimacy of an authority figure?
uniform and location
When we change the location or the uniform of the authority figure, why does our perception of authority change?
location and uniform are mismatched, we no longer see them as being power and status
What is meant by agentic state?
a state of mind where we remove responsibility from our selves to an authority figure
What is meant by being ‘an agent of others’?
you act on behalf of an authority figure
What do we call the state in which we believe we are responsible for our own actions?
Autonomous state
What is meant by an autonomous state?
where we believe we are responsible for our own actions
What do we call the process of moving from an autonomous state to an agentic state?
agentic shift
What is an agentic shift?
Where we move from our autonomous state to an agentic state
What is a famous example of agentic state?
Nazi Soldiers in World War 2
When does agentic shift occur?
when someone perceives somebody as an authority figure
agentic state: What determines whether we see someone as being an authority figure?
seeing if they have a higher position in a social hierarchy
When responsibility is passed to the authority figure, what does this remove from the individual?
they no longer feel guilty
Why do people no longer feel guilty when they act on the behalf of an authority figure?
They see themselves as carrying out the wishes of someone more knowledgeable
Out of autonomous state and agentic state, which one is more likely to obey?
agentic state
If the legitimacy of authority is affected, what happens to the levels of obedience?
it reduces the level of obedience
AO3: Who provided research to support explanations of obedience?
Hofling
AO3: What do we use Hofling for in explanations of obedience?
research to support
AO3: What was Hoflings sample?
22 nurses on a hospital ward
AO3: What did Hofling get the nurses to do?
an unknown doctor ordered them to administer a dangerous dose of drug to patients over the phone
AO3: How many nurses in Hoflings research obeyed?
21 out of 22 nurses
AO3: Why does Hoflings research support Legitimacy of authority as an explanation of obedience?
It shows that nurses will obey someone with more social hierarchy i.e. the unknown doctor
Why does Hofling’s research support Agentic state as an explanation of obedience?
it shows that the nurses felt the doctor was responsible for their actions
AO3: Bickman’s research supports which situational variable affecting obedience?
Power of uniform
AO3: Power of uniform as a situational variable affecting obedience can be supported by whose research?
Bickman
AO3: What 3 outfits did Bickman have his confederates dress in?
- security guard
- milkman
- business man
AO3: In Bickman’s research who were participants twice as likely to follow instructions from (obey)?
The business man
AO3: In Bickman’s research participants were how many more times likely to obey the business man over the security guard and milkman?
Twice as likely
AO3: Why does Bickman’s research support the power of uniform as a situational variable affecting obedience?
Demonstrates that the uniform gave the security guard legitimacy of authority and individuals are more likely to obey as a result.
