Social learning : Obedience - situational variables Flashcards
What are situational variables?
Features of the immediate physical and social environment which may influence a person’s behaviour
What situational variables did Milgram test in the variations he carried out of his study?
Proximity, location, uniform
What is proximity?
Explain how and why proximity affects obedience? Link to Milgram’s research
Proximity is the physiological distance between the person giving and the person receiving the order.
In Milgram’s baseline study, the T and L were physically separated and could not see each other. This meant that the T was able to psychologically distance themselves from the harm they were causing, therefore were more obedient. In one variation of Milgram’s study, the T and L were in the same room, and obedience decreased from 65% to 40%. In another variation, the E left and gave instructions to the T by telephone, obedience decreased to 20.5%.
So, increasing proximity decreases obedience.
How does location affect obedience? Refer to Milgram’s research
Increasing the prestige and legitimacy of a location increases obedience. In one of Milgram’s variations of his study, the study took place in a run-down office block instead of in the prestigious Yale University setting of the baseline study - obedience decreased from 65% to 47.5%. P.s were more obedient when the setting was more prestigious as they believed that the E shared the status of the location and therefore obedience was expected. Obedience was still relatively high in this variation as P.s perceived the scientific nature of the study.
How does uniform affect obedience? Refer to Milgram’s study
Uniforms increase obedience. This is because uniforms are widely recognised as symbols of authority and we accept that people wearing uniform are entitled to expect obedience. In Milgram’s baseline study, the E wore a grey lab coat as a uniform, whereas in one variation, the role of the E was taken on by an ordinary person (confederate) wearing everyday clothes. Obedience decreased from 60% to 20%.
What are the strengths of Milgram’s variations?
- Other studies have also demonstrated the influence of situational variables on obedience
- eg in a field experiment in NYC, Bickman had 3 confederates dressed in different outfits (ordinary clothing, a milkman’s outfit and a security guard’s uniform) and ask people in the streets to do things like picking up litter
- people were more obedient when the confederate dressed as a security guard delivered the order compared to the one in everyday clothing
- This means that situational variables like uniform do have a significant influence on obedience, supporting Milgram’s findings and conclusions - Milgram’s findings have been replicated in other cultures
- eg Meeus + Raaijmakers studied obedience in Dutch P.s by ordering them to say stressful things in an interview to someone who was desperate for a job
- 90% obeyed
- the researchers then replicated Milgram’s findings around proximity - when the person giving the order was not present, obedience decreased
- This means that Milgram’s findings are not just limited to Americans or males, but are valid across cultures and apply to females too
COUNTERPOINT - however many replications took place in countries not that culturally different to the USA, like Spain, Australia and Scotland
- these countries have similar ideas about the role of authority
- This means that Milgram’s findings may not be applicable to all cultures, decreasing the external validity of his studies
What is a limitation of Milgram’s variations?
P,s may have guessed that the procedure was not real.
- eg Orne and Holland argued that P.s behaved the way that they did because they didn’t truly believe in the set up of the baseline study and knew the shots were not real, so were simply play acting
- this is made even more likely in Milgram’s variations due to the extra manipulation of variables, which could easily have led to the P.s figuring out the truth
- This means that Milgram’s findings have low internal validity as it is unclear whether they were due to genuine obedience or due to P.s responding to demand characteristics
