Social influence - Obedience situational variables Flashcards
what are situational variables
- features of the environment that can influence a persons behaviour
what were the three variables Milgram experimented with
- proximity
- location
- uniform
how was uniform investigated
- baseline study the experimenter wore a lab coat
- variation the experimenter was called away and replaced with a regular man
- obedience dropped to only 20%
- not faced with someone with scientific credibility
how was location investigated
- baseline study in Yale university
- variation in a run down office above a shop
- 48% continued to 450v
how was proximity investigated
- baseline study the teacher could hear the learner but not see them
Remote feedback - victim couldn’t be heard or seen - obedience 66%
Voice feedback - victim could be heard but not seen - obedience 65%
Proximity - victim was one metre away from the participant - obedience 40%
Touch-Proximity - participant had to place the learners hands on the shock plate - obedience 30%
what was Hofling’s study
-1966
- field study on nurses who were unaware
- 22 real night nurses and Dr. Smith a stooge
- phoned the nurses on separate occasions and asked them to check for the drug Astroten
- nurses told to administer 20mg to a Mr Jones (medication wasn’t real)
- all but one obeyed
what was Bickman’s study
- 1974
- investigated social power of uniform in a field study
- guards outfit, milkman’s outfit, sports coat and tie
- each gave different instructions to pedestrians
- participants most likely to obey the guard
- obedience related to the amount of perceived authority and uniform