Situational variables affecting Obedience - Milgram's Study

Question 1

obedience

Answer 1

type of social influence where a person acts in response to an order from another person who usually has authority or power

Question 2

features of obedience

Answer 2

• within a hierarchy
• emphasis on power
• requirement to change explicit
• behaviour may be different from the source

Question 3

Milgram’s aims

Answer 3

to see if people obey orders against their own morality

Question 4

Milgram’s findings

Answer 4

• 65% went up to 450v
• all ppts went up to 300v and only 5 stopped there
• ppts showed signs of distress through sweating, laughing and fidgeting

Question 5

Milgram’s conclusions

Answer 5

most people will obey an authority figure even if it goes against their own moral code

Question 6

obedience: ppts were female

Answer 6

• remained 65%
• women reported feeling more stressed
• gender differences isn’t a major factor in obedience

Question 7

obedience: proximity

Answer 7

• teacher and learner in room: 40%
• touch proximity: 30%
• experimenter absent: 21%

Question 8

obedience: location

Answer 8

• moved From Yale to rundown office
• dropped to 48%
• less powerful authority due to lack of association with yale

Question 9

uniform- Bushman 1988

Answer 9

stopped ppl in the street asking them to give change to someone for parking
- police: 72%
- businesswomen: 48%
- beggar: 52%
uniform conveys authority

Question 10

obedience limitations

Answer 10

• Lacks population validity (40 white USA males)
• ethical issues (deception +psych harm)
• lacks eco validity (at Yale w an artificial task)

Question 11

obedience strengths

Answer 11

uniform effect obedience e.g Bickman