Why People Obey Flashcards
What are the two explanations for why people obey?
Internal and external explanation
What is the external explanation?
Situational variables form the explanation where features of an environment are seen as affecting obedience
How does proximity affect obedience?
When the physical distance between the teacher and learner was made closer, participants were less able to divorce themselves from the consequences of their actions and so obedience rates were lower
What is the research to support proximity?
In Milgram’s variation, when the teacher had to put the learners hand on the shock plate obedience fell to 30%. When they are in the same room obedience fell to 40%
How does location affect obedience?
There are higher obedience rates in institutionalised settings where obedience to authority figures is instilled to members
What is the research to support location?
In Milgrams variation when the study was carried out in a rundown part of town instead of Yale University obedience fell to 48%
How does uniforms affect obedience?
Wearing a uniform can give the perception of added legitimacy to authority figures when delivering orders and therefore obedience rates increase
What is the research to support uniforms?
Bickman. He found ordering people on a New York street to pick up rubbish, loan a coin or move away from a bus stop obedience rates changed. 19% obeyed when they were dressed as a civilian, 14% when they were dressed as a milkman and 38% when they were dressed as a security guard
What is the internal explanation?
Certain personality characteristics are associated with higher levels of obedience
Who created the authoritarian personality?
Fromm
What is the authoritarian personality?
It explains those holding a right wing, conservative views and is a personality type characterised by a belief in absolute obedience and submission to authority and domination of minorities
How is the authoritarian personality measured?
F scale questionnaire
What are two strengths of the internal explanation?
Elms and milgram reported people who were highly obedient were significantly more authoritarian on the f scale than disobedient figures supporting this link. Also altemeyer reported participants who had the authoritarian personality were more likely to give higher electric shocks
What are two limitations of the internal explanation?
Zilmer et al reported 16 nazi war criminals recorded highly on 3 dimensions but not all 9. Also it cannot account for obedience in all societies and social groups
What are the two social psychological explanations of why people obey?
Milgrams agency theory and legitimate authority
What does Milgrams agency theory suggest?
If an authority figure takes responsibility for an order it is likely that an individual will obey. They are an agent of someone else
What are the two different states in Milgrams agency theory?
The autonomous state and the agentic state
What is the autonomous state?
They see their actions as voluntary and self direct in which they are ruled by their own conscience and accept consequences
What is the agentic state?
People see themselves as being agents of others and in which individuals conscience does not operate. They don’t feel responsible for their own actions
What is it called when someone moves between the two states?
The agentic shift
How was this theory seen in Milgrams study?
The autonomous state was when the teacher was choosing to give the shocks. When the teacher started to refuse and one of the verbal prods were given this then became the agentic state
What are the factors that allow them to minimise the damaging effects of their behaviour?
Binding factors
What does legitimate authority suggest?
Most societies have a hierarchical structure and we are socialised to obey those higher up the hierarchy. We obey those with legitimate authors because we see them as trustworthy and we believe they have power to punish us
Where is legitimate authority seen in Milgrams study?
The authors figure wore a lab coat which symbolised his authority. Obedience fell when the experimenter was not wearing a lab coat as he lost his status and authority
What are the two real life incident that support why people obey?
The US soldiers abuse of the prisoners in Abu Ghraib started off as minor and then increased to serious levels of abuse. In Liftons study the Nazi doctors started sterilising equipment but then started experimenting on people who died
What are two limitations of why people obey?
Real life incidents are likely to involve a range of factors not just obedience and you can use the methods and ethical issues of Milgrams study
