Social Influence - Obedience Flashcards
In what year did Milgram’s study take place?
1963
Describe the aim of Milgram’s research
To see if people will obey orders, even those requiring them to harm others
Briefly explain the procedure of Milgram’s experiment
- 40 American males
- participant was assigned the role of ‘teacher’ and a confederate was the ‘learner’
- the learner had to answer word pairing questions and if they got one wrong then the teacher was told to give an electric shock
- the shocks increased in intensity, from 15-450 volts
- in reality no shocks were given, the learner pretended to receive shocks
What were the findings of Milgram’s research?
- 65% pp went to maximum (450 volts)
- 100% pp went more than 300 volts
Define the term obedience
Compliance with an order from another person to carry out an action
Briefly describe Hofling’s experiment into obedience to authority
- 22 nurses were told over the phone by a ‘doctor’ to give twice the advised dosage of an unknown drug to patients
- 21/22 obeyed, supporting Milgram’s findings that people are obedient
What did Milgram conclude from his research?
That people will obey orders from an authority figure, potentially fatally harming a stranger in doing so
Give 2 strengths of Hofling’s research
- shows that obedience to authority occurs in the real world
- protection from harm as the drug was a placebo
Give two weaknesses of Hofling’s research
- only examined 22 nurses in US hospitals
- informed consent was not given
Give two ethical issues in Milgram’s study
- deception
- lack of informed consent
What are the two types of explanations of obedience?
- situational
- dispositional
What are the 3 situational variables?
- proximity
- location
- uniform
What are the 3 dispositional variables?
- agentic state
- legitimate authority
- authoritarian personality
What is proximity when referring to obedience?
Distance between the person asking for obedience and the person obeying
What is location when referring to obedience?
Where the obedience is taking place
What is uniform when referring to obedience?
If the AF wore ‘official’ clothing it adds to the legitimacy of the situation
What is agentic state when referring to obedience?
When the AF is responsible for the individual’s actions
What is legitimate authority when referring to obedience?
Some individuals naturally have authority in a situation and will gain more obedience
What is authoritarian personality when referring to obedience?
Some people obey due to certain characteristics in their personality e.g. assumed as normal if brought up in a strict setting
How can proximity influence obedience?
The closer the proximity, the more obedience as more pressure is placed on individual to obey
(Milgram - when gave instructions via phone, obedience dropped as less pressure from physical presence)
How can uniform influence obedience?
Wearing ‘official’ clothing makes the person asking for obedience look more authoritative which increases obedience
(Bickman - higher levels of obedience for all scenarios when the experimenter was dressed in a uniform (guard and milkman) compared to when experimenter was dressed in no uniform)
How can location influence obedience?
In a more prestigious location obedience may increase due to more pressure
(Milgram - conducted at Yale University and when moved to rundown office block obedience fell to 48%)
How can agentic state influence obedience?
Increase obedience as someone else is responsible for your actions
(Milgram - confederate/AF takes responsibility for electric shocks)
How can legitimate authority influence obedience?
More obedience is the person requesting obedience is legitimate
(Hofling - Doctors have more authority over nurses)
