5 - Obedience: Situational Variables

Question 1

What are situational variables?

Answer 1

Variables related to external circumstances that can impact obedient behaviour (as a pose to it being impacted by disposition)

Question 2

What is disposition?

Answer 2

Personality

Question 3

What are the three situational variables that Milgram investigated?

Answer 3

• Proximity
• Location
• Uniform

Question 4

Why did Milgram complete variations of his original study?

Answer 4

Now he knew people were often obedient to a perceived authority figure, he wanted to know if any situational variables would affect how obedient they were

Question 5

What is proximity?

Answer 5

Physical closeness between someone/something

Question 6

What was the proximity in Milgram’s original study?

Answer 6

• Teacher (ppt) + experimenter = in same room (see + hear)

- Teacher (ppt) + learner = in separate rooms (hear but not see)

Question 7

How many ways did Milgram vary the proximity? What were these ways?

Answer 7

3

• Proximity variation (teacher + learner in same room)
• Touch proximity variation (teacher forces learner’s hand onto shock plate)
• Remote-instruction proximity variation (teacher received instructions from experimenter on phone)

Question 8

How was obedience affected by the proximity variation?

Answer 8

Obedience fell to 40%

Question 9

How was obedience affected by the touch proximity variation?

Answer 9

Obedience fell to 30%

Question 10

How was obedience affected by the remote instruction proximity variation?

Answer 10

Obedience fell to 20.5%

Question 11

What can be concluded about the affect of proximity on obedience?

Answer 11

As proximity to consequences increases, obedience decreases

• (Proximity between teacher + learner)
• Because can see consequences, so feel more accountable

As proximity to instructor decreases, obedience decreases

• (Proximity between teacher + experimenter)
• Because feel less monitored, so less pressure to obey

Question 12

What is location?

Answer 12

Place where instructed to obey

Question 13

What was the location of Milgram’s original study?

Answer 13

Yale lab (prestigious, scientific)

Question 14

How did Milgram vary location?

Answer 14

Moved to run down office in Bridgeport, Connecticut

Question 15

How was obedience affected by the location variation?

Answer 15

Obedience fell to 47.5%

Question 16

What can be concluded about the affect of location on obedience?

Answer 16

As location reduces in prestige, obedience decreases

• (Move away from Yale)
• Because there it reduces the legitimacy of the authority, reducing obedience

Question 17

What is uniform?

Answer 17

Outfit worn by figure giving orders

Question 18

What was the uniform of the experimenter in Milgram’s original study?

Answer 18

Lab coat

Question 19

How did Milgram vary uniform?

Answer 19

Replaced experimenter with member of public wearing everyday clothes

Question 20

How did the uniform variation affect obedience?

Answer 20

Obedience fell to 20%

Question 21

What can be concluded about the affect of uniform on obedience?

Answer 21

As uniform increases in status, obedience increases

• (Lab coat)
• Because person giving instructions is seen as holding a higher position on the social authoritative hierarchy

Question 22

List the situational variables in order from affecting obedience least to affecting obedience most

Answer 22

• Original: 65%
• Location: 47.5%
• Proximity: 40%
• Touch proximity: 30%
• Remote instruction proximity: 20.5%
• Uniform: 20%

Question 23

Which situation variable had the greatest impact on obedience levels?

Answer 23

Uniform

Question 24

Outline a piece of research that supports the concept that uniform does have a great impact on obedience levels

Answer 24

Bickman (1974)

• NY
• Field experiment
• Confederates in diff uniforms: milkman, jacket + tie, security guard
• Confederates instructed passers by (ppts) to do something, e.g. give coin for parking meter
• Ppts twice as likely to obey confederate in guard uniform (80%) than jacket + tie uniform (40%)
• Shows uniform is a situational factor impacting obedience

Question 25

Give 2 positive evaluation points for Milgram’s situational variables studies

Answer 25

Methodology has high control

• Independent variables (situation variables) manipulated one at a time
• Rest of procedure controlled
• Able to purely measure effect of situational variable on obedience (high internal validity)

Cross-cultural replications generally support findings
- Miranda et al (1981) found over 90% obedience in Spanish students
- Suggests findings about tendency to obey are generalisable
BUT - Spain is another Western, individualist society (may be bound to these types of similar societies)

Question 26

Give 2 negative evaluation points for Milgram’s situational variables studies

Answer 26

Methodology increases fear of low internal validity

• Orne + Holland criticised original study for low internal validity, due to demand characteristics
• May be more demand characteristics in variations because of extra manipulation
• E.g. Milgram recognised that ppts may highly doubt the realism of the remote instruction proximity variation

Issue - ‘obedience alibi’

• Mandel (1998) argues it provides an obedience alibi
• Shouldn’t be able to use situation as excuse for horrible crimes (e.g. by Nazis in Holocaust) as it devalues survivor’s experiences