Obedience Situational Variables

Question 1

What is situational Variables?

Answer 1

• Feature of physical and social environment which influences a persons behaviour. e.g (proximity ,location and uniform)

Question 2

what is proximity?

Answer 2

The physical closeness or distance of an authority figure to the person they are giving an order to.

Question 3

What is location?

Answer 3

The place where the order is issued . This also influences obedience.

Question 4

What is uniform?

Answer 4

People of authority have specific outfits which symbolise their authority

Question 5

Explain proximity in Obedience?

Answer 5

• In new variation Teacher and learner were in the same room. The obedience rate dropped from 65% to 40%.
• In the touch proximity the teacher had to force the hand on a electroshock plate. obedience dropped a further 30%.
• When the experimenter left the room and used the telephone obedience dropped to 20.5% and pretended to give shocks.
• Decreased proximity allows people to psychologically distance themselves from the consequence of their actions.

Question 6

Explain location in obedience?

Answer 6

• Milgram done the experiment in a run down apartment block instead of Yale university. Obedience fell to 47.5%.
• The university gave legitimacy and authority. However was still high due to scientific nature of procedure

Question 7

Explain uniform Obedience?

Answer 7

• In one variation Experimenter was called away because of phone call and a member of public done it instead. Obedience dropped to 20%
• Uniforms are symbols of authority and we say their authority is legitimate

Question 8

One strength of Obedience Situational variables?

Answer 8

• Bickman had 3 confederates dress in different outfits, jacket and tie, milkmans outfit and a security guards uniform. They stood in the street and demanded to public to give them a coin for a parking meter of pick up the litter. People were twice as likely to obey person as security than jacket and tie.
• This supports uniform

Question 9

Whats another strength of Obedience cross culture?

Answer 9

• Have been replicated in other cultures by dutch.
• They were ordered to say stressful things to confederates to participants who were desperate looking for a job. 90% participants obeyed.
• This replicated Milgram’s findings.
• Shows it works cross cultures

Question 10

One limitation of Obedience?

Answer 10

• Participants might have been aware that it was faked. Because of extra manipulation is his variables
• For example when the experimenter was replaced by a member of public participants might have worked out its fake and produced demand characteristics.