Social Influence: Milgram & Situational Variables Affecting Obedience 2024/25 Flashcards
What is meant by obedience?
Where somebody acts in response to a direct order from a figure of perceived authority
Definitions of named concepts are important as it links with the BP
What was the aim of Milgram’s experiment?
To investigate if individuals would obey the orders of an authority figure even if this led to negative consequences
All research aims will begin with the phrase “to investigate”
What research method did Milgram use?
Lab experiment
Where did Milgram’s study take place? What makes this study a lab experiment?
Consider the environment it took place in
- Yale university
- It is an artificial / controlled environment
How many people took part in Milgram’s experiment? Why can it be considered gender biased?
- 40 participants (aged 20-50)
- They were all male
- Who is it difficult to generalise Milgram’s study to?
- Why?
- Difficult to generalise to females
- Females may have obeyed differently
Remember to link to the BP - obedience
How did Milgram gather his participants?
Advert in a newspaper
- What did the ‘shock level’ begin at?
- What did it increase by?
- What was the maximum shock level?
- 15 volts
- 15 volt increments
- 450 volts
What happened if the ‘teacher’ refused?
The experimenter used a ‘prompt’
What was one prompt used by the experimenter?
- “Please continue.”
- “The experiment requires that you continue.”
- “It is absolutely essential that you continue.”
- “You have no other choice; you must go on.”
How many participants (in %) went to at least 300 volts?
100%
How many participants (in %) stopped at 300 volts?
12.5%
How many participants (in %) went to 450 volts
65%
Obeying to 450v showed high levels of obedience
What 3 situational variables did Milgram investigate?
- Proximity
- Location
- Uniform
You must know what these variables are, how they were tested, and what was found
What is meant by proximity in the context of Milgram’s research?
How close the ‘teacher’ is to the ‘learner’ or experimenter
Misconception: Milgram varied the proximity to both the ‘victim’ and the ‘experimenter’ - who is the authority figure. This is often forgotten.
How did Milgram investigate proximity?
There are 2 ways in which this was done
- ‘Teacher’ was required to force the learners hand onto a shock plate (touch proximity)
- The experimenter left the room and gave instructions over phone
Students often forget the 2 ways, and instead focus on just one - you need to be aware of both the procedures
What did Milgram find when investigating ‘touch proximity’?
Remember to compare this to the finding from the original experiment
Obedience decreased
Dropped from 65% to 30%
What did Milgram find when the experiment gave the instructions over the phone?
Obedience decreased
Dropped from 65% to 20.5%
What did Milgram conclude from investigating proximity?
Remember a conclusion is an overall statement based on the findings
The closer an authority figure is, the more obedient an individual will be
How did Milgram investigate location?
Remember to compare to the original experiment here
Moved the experiment from a prestigous university to a run down office
Make sure to use the word “run-down” - AQA are quite picky about their wording of this
What did Milgram find when he invesitgated how location affects obedience?
Remeber to compare to the original experiment here
Obedience decreased
Dropped from 65% to 48%
Why did obedience decrease when the location was changed?
The legitimacy of the experimenters authority was reduced
Remember it is important to know the reason a finding occured, as well as what the finding actually is
How did Milgram investigate uniform?
Remember to compare to the original experiment here
Changed the experimenters uniform from a grey lab coat to everyday clothes
What was found when Milgram investigated uniform?
Remember to compare to the original experiment here
Obedience decreased
Dropped from 65% to 20%
Why did obedience decrease when the experiments uniform was changed?
The legitimacy of the experimenters authority was reduced
Remember it is important to know the reason a finding occured, as well as what the finding actually is
What did Milgram conclude from investigating uniform?
Uniform acts as a visual symbol of authority
What did obedience levels drop from and to when Milgram investigated location?
From 65% to 48%
What did obedience levels drop from and to when Milgram investigated uniform?
From 65% to 20%
What did obedience levels drop from and to when Milgram investigated ‘touch proximity’?
From 65% to 30%
What did obedience levels drop from and to when Milgram had the experimenter give instructions over the phone?
From 65% to 20.5%
AO3 Focus
What did Bickman do in his research to support Milgram?
- Asked confederates to dress in 3 different outfits (security guard, milkman, and business man)
- Ask passers-by to give money to pay for parking or pick up litter
This will be the first E of your PEEL
AO3 Focus
What did Bickman find in his research to support Milgram?
Participants were 2x as likely to obey the security guard than the businessman
This will be the second E of your PEEL
AO3 Focus
Bickman’s research supports the power of uniform - why?
This will be the Link in your PEEL
Uniform acted as a visual cue for legitimate authority, so obedience increases
This will be the Link in your PEEL
AO3 Focus
- Who is it difficult to generalise all of Milgram’s research into situational variables to?
- Why?
This will form the first E in your PEEL
- Difficult to generalise to females
- Females may have obeyed differently
Remember to refer to obedience - this is your BP
This will form the first E in your PEEL
AO3 Focus
- Why may females obey differently to males?
- What research is there to support this?
For top band, this would need to be included in your PEEL
- Their gender roles may dictate that they be more submissive - and therefore more obedient
- Sheridan & King; when asked to shock a puppy, females obeyed 100% of the time compared to 54% of males
For top band, this would need to be included in your PEEL
AO3 Focus
Why is Milgram’s research into situational variables of obedience being gender biased a weakness?
This would form the link of your PEEL
It weakens the external validity of the research as variables may affect obedience in some people more than others
This would form the link of your PEEL
AO3 Focus
“Situational variables affecting obedience are an external explanation for obedience”
What is an alternative explanation for obedience?
The authoritarian personality
AO3 Focus
How is the authoritarian personality as an explanation for obedience different to situational variables?
This would form the first E of your PEEL
Authoritarian personality suggests obedience is due to internal characteristics e.g. personality
WHEREAS
Situational variables suggest obedience is due to external factors e.g. the situation / environment
Remember when writing an alternative explanation PEEL, you MUST outline the difference between the two explanations
AO3 Focus
Why does the authoritarian personality weaken research into situational variables?
Because it shows it is not the only explanation for obedience
This would form the Link of your PEEL
AO3 Focus
What 3x PEEL’s would you use to evaluate Milgram’s research into situational variables of obedience?
- Research to support by Bickman
- Gender bias
- Alternative explanation of authoritarian personality
Revision tip: Write these down on a post-it note and stick it on the AO3 page of your booklet - it will make revision a bit more ‘bitesize’
