Social Influence - Obedience (Milgram)

Question 1

Define obedience

Answer 1

Changing behaviour to follow demands of an authority figure

To avoid punishment/consequences

Question 2

What was the aim of Milgrams study?

Answer 2

To investigate wether people would give someone a potentially lethal shock if told to do so

Question 3

What was the method of Milgrams study?

Answer 3

40 male volunteers between 25-50 & range of jobs.
A confederate always ended up as learner & participant was teacher.
Were told they could leave at any time
Learner strapped to chair in other room & wired with electrodes.
Had to memorise a memory task and if he got one wrong, the teacher had to shock him.
Rose from 15 volts to 450 - at 350 learner pounded on wall and went silent

Question 4

What was the results of Milgrams study?

Answer 4

No participant stopped below 300 volts
Five stopped then when pounded on wall
65% went to full voltage
Participants showed signs of tension - sweat, tremble, bite lips, three had full blown uncontrollable seizures.

Question 5

What was the conclusion of Milgrams study?

Answer 5

Obedience had little to do with disposition.

Obedience was better explained in terms of factors that made it difficult to disobey

Question 6

Weakness of Milgrams study? (Thought shocks were fake)

Answer 6

Participants may not have believed the shocks were real.
Despite the test shock at start, it’s possible they felt it unlikely such Sever shocks were being delivered.
Supported by research where Gina Perry listened to tapes and many voiced suspicions
Most of them thought they were fake but went along so didn’t spoil test

Question 7

Strength of Milgrams study?

Answer 7

The same results have been found in other studies
In one, participants had to shock puppy and 54% male 10.% female delivered what they thought was a fatal shock
Suggests Milgrams results weren’t fake but represented something real.

Question 8

Weakness of Milgrams study? (Distress)

Answer 8

Participants experienced distress
It’s claimed Milgram caused psychological damage to participants because they thought they were causing pain to leaner.
At end they were shown they didn’t but deception was betrayed of trust and = bad reputation of psychologists
Ethical issues don’t challenge findings but question value of research

Question 9

What’s a social factor of obedience

Answer 9

Obeying because features of your surroundings make you feel a stronger pressure from others
Eg - if others are obedient

Question 10

What’s a dispositional factor of obedience?

Answer 10

Obeying because you have more obedient personality & you are aware of your position in social hierarchy
Eg - background /parents

Question 11

What is the agency theory

Answer 11

Explains obedience in terms of whether an individual is making their own free will choices or acting as an agent of an authority figure

Question 12

What is it called when a person behaves according to their own principles and feel responsible for their own actions

Answer 12

Autonomous State

Question 13

What is it called when a person acts on behalf of someone else and feels no responsibility for their actions

Answer 13

Agentic State

Question 14

What’s an Agentic Shift?

Answer 14

Change from autonomous state to agentic state

Occurs when a person perceives someone else as an authority figure

Question 15

What are three social factors that affect obedience?

Answer 15

Authority
Culture
Proximity

Question 16

Explain authority in obedience

Answer 16

Someone with greater power because of position in social hierarchy
Uniform gives status
Trust their expertise so fear potential punishments

Question 17

Explain culture in obedience

Answer 17

Refers to beliefs & expectations that surround us
Individualistic culture means lower obedience levels and more freedom/independence
Collectivistic culture means higher obedience levels and more respect for authority - place greater importance on group values

Question 18

Explain proximity in obedience

Answer 18

People are more likely to obey when authority is closer

Obedience decreases when the consequences of our actions are closer - feel guilt

Question 19

Explain a strength of agency theory

Answer 19

There is research support.
Blass and Schmitt showed a film of Milgram’s study to students who blamed the ‘experimenter’ rather than the ‘teacher’ for the harm to the learner.
Therefore the students recognised the legitimate authority of the experiment or as the cause of obedience

Question 20

Explain a weakness of agency theory (doesn’t explain 100% obedience)

Answer 20

Agency theory can’t explain why there isn’t 100% obedience.
In Milgram’s study 35% of the participants didn’t go up to the maximum shock of 450 volts.
They said in interviews there were various reasons for lack of obedience.
Social factors can’t fully explain obedience

Question 21

Explain a weakness of agency theory (excuses people)

Answer 21

Agency theory gives people an excuse for ‘blind’ obedience.
Nazis who were racist and prejudiced were doing more than just following orders.
This means that agency theory is potentially dangerous as it slows people to think they aren’t always responsible