Obedience

Question 1

What are the two theories of obedience?

Answer 1

Milgrams agency theory

Social Impact theory

Question 2

What is the autonomous state

Answer 2

We are free thinking and able to make our own decision and take responsibility for our actions

Question 3

What is the agentic state

Answer 3

Occurs when we are faced with an authority figure, we are acting as agents of others and we displace responsibility for our actions onto the authority figure

Question 4

What is the agentic shift

Answer 4

When faced with an authority figure individuals will move from the autonomous state to the agentic state

Question 5

What is moral strain

Answer 5

When an individual is given orders by an authority figure that goes against their morals, causing extreme discomfort

Question 6

How did Milgram explain the fact humans are so obedient?

Answer 6

Socialisation from socialising agents such as teachers and parents, hierarchical society

Question 7

Describe displacement

Answer 7

Once fully in the agentic state moral strain is relieved as responsibility has been displaced onto the authority figure

Question 8

What are the findings of Milgrams original study that support agency theory

Answer 8

100% -> 300v
65% -> 450v
Faced with authority figure went to this voltage

Question 9

What is a theory of obedience that is more testable than Agency Theory?

Answer 9

Social Impact Theory

O=SxIxN

Question 10

What are sources

Answer 10

An individual who is trying to influence someone

Question 11

What is a target?

Answer 11

An individual that someone is trying to influence

Question 12

What is the formula for Social Impact Theory

Answer 12

Obedience = strength x immediacy x number

Question 13

In Social Impact Theory what does “Strength” refer to

Answer 13

How important the influencer (source) is to you

Question 14

In social Impact Theory what does “Immediacy” mean?

Answer 14

How close the source is to the target in space and time

Question 15

In Social Impact Theory what does “Number” mean?

Answer 15

How many sources are present

Question 16

In Social Impact Theory, what is the multiplication effect

Answer 16

The greater the strength, immediacy and number, the greater the chance of obedience

Question 17

In Social Impact Theory, what is the division effect

Answer 17

This refers to when there are less sources than targets

Question 18

Why is Social Impact Theory testable? Why might it not be completely testable?

Answer 18

It is a formulaic theory, however elements are still relatively subjective

Question 19

Which of milgrams variations support the “strength” part of Social Impact Theory? And why does it support it?

Answer 19

Variation 13 -> the ordinary man condition

16/20 refused to participate and the remaining 20% went to the full 450v

Question 20

What variation (milgrams) supports the “immediacy” part of Social Impact Theory? And why?

Answer 20

Variation 7, as only 22.5% went to 450v

Question 21

Does Social Impact Theory have good application?

Answer 21

Yes it allows psychologists to mathematically predict the chances of someone being obedient

Question 22

Why might Social Impact Theory be too simplistic?

Answer 22

Does not take individual differences into account, it stated you are either obedient or not

Question 23

What was milgrams aim?

Answer 23

To see if behaviour shown by the Nazis during the holocaust was a German trait or human trait

To establish a baseline measure of how far naive pp would go when asked to shock an innocent learner

Question 24

What was Milgrams sample? And how did he gather his pp?

Answer 24

40 men, who were all American

Volunteer sample, gathered via an advertisement in a newspaper

Question 25

What type of experiment was milgrams research and at what uni was it conducted

Answer 25

Lab experiment | Yale

Question 26

Who was Mr Wallace in Milgrams experiment

Answer 26

A stooge who pretended to lose the rigged lottery in order to become the learner

Question 27

Describe milgrams procedure

Answer 27

- pp introduced to Mr Wallace - pp took part in rigged lots - pp always teacher - pp shown electric apparatus and given a 45volt shock - shown Mr Wallace strapped up - taken next door, meet researcher - told that if the learner got a word pair wrong they had to administer an increasingly intensive shock - if they went to stop they were given 5 verbal prods

Question 28

What were milgrams findings?

Answer 28

65% -> 450v 100% -> 300v pp showed moral strain (shaking and sweating)

Question 29

Level of generalisability in Milgrams experiment

Answer 29

Low, Androcentric and only used Americans However it could be argued Milgram only used Americans because he wanted to see if Americans would mimick behaviour and research has been done (meeus and Raaijmaker) showing that milgrams results are similar in other countries

Question 30

Level of reliability in Milgrams experiment?

Answer 30

High, Standardised procedure as set events happened in a set order, such as pp given 45v shock then taken next door to meet the other researcher, easily repeatable, increasing reliability

Question 31

Do milgrams findings have good applications?

Answer 31

Yes, As they can be used to explain real life events and why people may commit terrible acts such as those during the holocaust when faced with an authority figure

Question 32

Is Milgrams experiment valid?

Answer 32

Low, Done in an artificial setting ``` However, Some research (Hofling) has been done in a more natural setting and found similar results ```

Question 33

Which ethical guidelines, if any, did Milgram break?

Answer 33

Protection from harm -> mentally, some had fits, physically 45v shock Informed consent Right to withdraw (arguable) Deception

Question 34

Why may it be difficult to criticise milgrams procedure ethically

Answer 34

Very good debrief If pp aware Social desirability Met with a board of psychologists before the experiment and they estimated only 1% would go to 150v and they would be psychopaths, so results did surprise everyone Provided free psychological support for those in the study

Question 35

Which one was milgrams variation 7

Answer 35

Telephonic instructions Only 22.5% went to 450v

Question 36

Which one was milgrams experiment 10

Answer 36

Rundown office block Only 47.5% went to 450v

Question 37

Which one was milgrams experiment 13

Answer 37

Ordinary man gives orders 16/20 refused to participate and the remaining 20% went to 450v

Question 38

What are the factors that impact obedience and dissent

Answer 38

Personality - RWA, compliant, rebellious Gender - kilham and Mann - females less obedient that makes (40%vs16%), however methodologically flawed, Sheridan and king 13 uni students and puppy, Blass found no difference across 9 studies Situation - think about SIT factors Culture - collectivist vs individualistic

Question 39

What is the definition of obedience

Answer 39

Compliance with commands given by a perceived figure of authority, give an example

Question 40

Culture and obedience

Answer 40

Shanab -> obedience higher in collectivist Jordan Meeus and Raaijmaker 83% obedience in Netherlands However, a study in Australia found only 43%