SI - Situational variables affecting obedience

Question 1

Describe the procedure of Milgram’s study of obedience

Answer 1

• 40 ppts at a time over various conditions.
• Ppts were told it was a study of how punishment affects learning.
• There were 2 experimental confederates: an experimenter, and a 47 y/o man who was introduced as another volunteer ppt.
• Ppts drew lots to see who would be the teacher and who would be the leaner.
• This was rigged so that the real ppt was always the teacher.
• Teacher required to test leaner on his ability to remember word pairs.
• Every time he got one wrong the teacher had to administer increasingly strong electric shocks starting at 15V and continuing up to the maximum of 400V going up in 15V increments.
• Learner gave mainly wrong answers sitting in a different room to the teacher and received his ‘fake’ electric shocks
• At 300V he pounded on the wall and then gave no response to the next question. He repeated this at 315V and from then on said nothing.
• If teacher asked to stop at any point then the experimenter gave prods like ‘it is essential that you continue’.

Question 2

What were the findings of Milgram’s study of obedience?

Answer 2

Predicted that very few would go beyond 150V and only 1 in 1000 would administer the full 450V.

26/40 (65%) continued to max shock level 450V despite the shock generator being labelled ‘Danger: severe shock’ at 420V and ‘XXX’ at 450V.

All ppts went to 300V with only 5 (12.5%) stopping there, the point at which the learner first objected.

Question 3

What were the 3 situational factors that affected obedience?

Answer 3

Proximity
Location
The power of uniform

Question 4

How did proximity affect obedience in Milgram’s study?

Answer 4

Both teacher and learner were placed in the same room.
Obedience levels fell to 40%.

In another variation, the teacher was required to force the learner’s hand onto the shock plate.
This made it drop to 30%.

When experimenter was absent only 21% went to max shock. Some administered weaker shocks than they were meant to but told the experimenter otherwise.

Question 5

What was the % of fully obedient ppts in Milgram’s study when the experiment was moved to a run down office?

Answer 5

65% -> 48%

Question 6

What was the % of fully obedient ppts in Milgram’s study when the teacher and learner were in the same room?

Answer 6

65% -> 40%

Question 7

What was the % of fully obedient ppts in Milgram’s study when the teacher had to press learner’s hand on shock plate?

Answer 7

65% -> 30%

Question 8

What was the % of fully obedient ppts in Milgram’s study when the experimenter gave orders over the phone?

Answer 8

65% -> 21%

Question 9

How did location affect obedience in Milgram’s study?

Answer 9

Studies were conducted in lab in Yale Uni so several ppts said that the location gave them confidence in the integrity of the people involved and many indicated that they would not have shocked the learner if this study had been carried out elsewhere.

When Milgram moved his study to a run down office in Bridgeport, Connecticut, with no obvious affiliations with Yale, obedience rates dropped slightly but not significantly, with 48% of ppts delivering the 450V max shock.

Question 10

How did the power of uniform affect obedience in Milgram’s study?

Answer 10

Research has shown that uniforms can have a powerful impact on obedience as they are easily recognisable and convey power and authority which can be symbolised in the uniform itself.

Bushman (1988)
Female researcher dressed 3 different ways told people in streets to give change to the male researcher for an expired parking meter.
Police uniform - 72% obedience.
Business executive - 48% obedience.
Beggar - 52% obedience.

People said they obeyed the woman in uniform because she appeared to have authority.

Question 11

What are the positives about Milgram’s study?

Answer 11

Historical validity.

Research support for the power of uniform.

Question 12

What are the negatives about Milgram’s study?

Answer 12

Internal validity and realism.
Proximity/relevance of obedience to life events.
Location - results not surprising.

Question 13

Define:

Obedience to authority

Answer 13

Obedience refers to a type of social influence whereby somebody acts in response to a direct order from a figure with perceived authority. There is also the implication that the person receiving the order is made to respond in a way that they would not otherwise have done without the order.