Obedience: Situational Factors

Question 1

A03: research evidence to support the role of proximity in obedience

Answer 1

• Milgram found that when teacher and learner were brought into the same room, obedience dropped to 40%.
• when experimenter left room and gave orders by telephone, obedience dropped to 20.5%, and reduced from original 65% obedience rate.
• shows that having to directly face the consequences of your actions or not being directly faced with authority figure has an effect on reducing obedience.

Question 2

A03: fails to consider other factors

Answer 2

• may be important in understanding obedience.
  -Kilman and Mann replicated Milgram’s original study procedures in Australia
• found that only 16% of pt shocked the learner at max voltage level of 450V
  -where Mantell on other hand, showed that it was 85% when conducted in Germany.
• cross‐cultural comparison shows that in different societies, children may be socialised differently from a young age to be more, or less, obedient.
  -suggests that while situational factors i.e uniform, proximity are important, other factors may play significant role in obedient behaviour