Factors Affecting Obedience - Situation and Culture

Question 1

Situational factors

Answer 1

LegitimacyProximityBehaviour of others

Question 2

Culture factors

Answer 2

Individualism-collectivismPower distance index

Question 3

Legitimacy

Answer 3

Reducing legitimacy reduces obedience

Question 4

Proximity

Answer 4

Increasing distance reduces authorityMilgram telephonic instructionsLatane’s concept of immediacy in SITMilgram’s variation study, obedience reduced to 40%

Question 5

Behaviour of others

Answer 5

Milgram had two confederates who refused to carry on with study, obedience dropped to 10%

Question 6

Individualism-collectivism

Answer 6

Obedience differs in different cultures

Question 7

Difference in individualist and collectivist

Answer 7

Individualist - values personal autonomy and self-relianceCollectivist - loyalty to group

Question 8

Who’s more obedient individualist or collectivist

Answer 8

Individualist = less obedientCollectivist = more obedient

Question 9

Power distance index refers to

Answer 9

Refers to how accepting people are of hierarchical order and inequality in society

Question 10

PDI cultures obedient

Answer 10

High PDI cultures cultures - like being told what to doIdentification with values of high PDI culture lead a person to be highly obedient, people from low PDI cultures more likely to disobey

Question 11

Situation strength

Answer 11

Meeus and Raaijmakers (1995) asked participants to deliver increasingly unkind insults to confederate applying for job90% gave all insults36% when experimenter left room16% when they witnessed two rebellious peopleSuggests obedience decreased through legitimacy, proximity and behaviour of others

Question 12

CA to situational strength

Answer 12

There were individual differences Milgram’s variations Personality key part of explanation

Question 13

Application of situation

Answer 13

Countryside -> no rule enforcersGramann et al found giving information about reasons behind rules, increased obedienceHelp protect sites in country

Question 14

Culture strength

Answer 14

Kilham and MannLow level of obedience in Australia (28%), which scores low PDIDolinski found high level of obedience in Polan (90%) a country with high PDI

Question 15

Weakness of culture

Answer 15

Blass 2012 calculated mean of 66% obedience rate for 8 non-US Milgram replications, 61% for US replicationsSome variation, but not muchObedience may be universal social behaviour and culture does not have much affect