social infulence Flashcards
what was milgrams research about?
1.milgram wanted to find out why german population had followed orders of hitler
what did milgram do?
1.lab study of 40 males
2.20-50 y/o
3. in the new haven area
4. a word test was done if learners gave the wrong answer the teacher would have to generate an elec shock.( teacher was unaware it wasent real and told to press the switch)
5.the teacher could only hear the learner the not see them(scream in pain)
findings
1.65% of participants went all the way to 450Volts - more likely when pressured
2.100% went to 300volts- pressure to continue
3.horrible things were done if someone else took responsibility for it
4.teacher even told that participant suffered a heart conditon.
evaluation(prt1)
( representative , validity , reliability )
1.lacks external validity= not very reprsentative, not any females
HOWEVER representative bc normally adult men were soldiers.
2.lacks ecological validity= in lab not warzone area
3.internal validity= lab study so high control of EVs
BUT partcipant varibales cant be controlled so demand characterstics.
4. reliable- can be repeated again
what were some ethical issues?
1.no informed consent
2.deception
3.encouraged and pressured to continue(no right to withdraw)
4. not protected from physical and psychological harm= anxious and alot of anxiety
Strengths of milgrams research
(more in booklet)
- other studies to support)
1.when replicated in a new show behaviour was identical to milgrams findings
e.g the game of death
-80% gave shocks to max of 460 volts to unconscious man
-similar identical behaviour of nervous laughter and nail biting.
2.in support, sheridon and king study when real shocks were given to puppies (54% of men and 100% of women gave what they knew was the real shock) people obdient even with real shocks
strenghts of milgram
(more in booklet)
(nurses and war)
1.hoffling et al- the nurses obeyed - didnt know what the drug or dose was but still obeyed.
despite it being unknown doctor
over the phone
and overdose ‘astroten’
95% of nurses administered the drug
2.gave background to obedience at warzone - applicable to german soldiers.
Weaknesses of milgrams research
(more in booklet)
- demand characteristics and science
1.may have been infulenced by demand charactertics- so many have not got a precise measurement of what was intended
2.only obeyed when they were identified with scientific aims, when ordered by authority they refused- identified more w science.
(social identity theory- take on the identity of the group your in.)
4.ethics - bad e.g deceived teachers and participants thought the roles were random allocation but were acc fixed.
what are the situational varibles?
- milgram identified external facors rather than peoples personalities this included:
promixity,location and uniform
What were the new versions of milgrams study?
1.run down office- lower (47.5%)
2.teacher and learner in the same room-lower (40%)
3.teacher forcing partcipants hand onto electronic plate(30%)- lower
4.experimenter left room and gave instructions over the phone- lower (20.5%)
5.experimenter played by memeber of public - no uniform- lower (20%)
what is promixity?
its the physcial closeness or distance of an authority figure to the person they are giving orders too
(orginal study- learner and teacher not in the same room
variation- teacher and learner in the same room)
one condition
teachers forced learners hand onto electric shock plate when they refused to answer a Q- touching proxmixity obdience down 30%)
second condition
experimenter left the room and gave instructions by phone- remote proxmixity.
dropped by 20.5%
participants pretended to give shocks or gave weaker shocks than they had been ordered to provide.
location(place an order is issued and the status and prestigae associated w it)
orginal- prestiage uni in yale(65%)
variaiton- run down office (47.5%)
uniform(people in authority often quite smartly dressed so entitlted to our obedience)
original- wore lab coat(65%)
variation- role of experimenter done by member of public (confederate)- 20%
Correlation between obedience and proxmixity?
allows ppl to psychologically distance themselves from the consequences of their actions.
when teacher and learner were seperated the teacher was less aware of the damage they were inflicting - so more obedient.
Correlation between location and obedience
Uni seemed more legitmate, obedience would be more expected.
Obedience high in the office bc they percieved scientfic nature of procedure.
Correlation between uniform and obedience?
1.encourage obedience- symbol of authority
2.entitled to obedience bc they hv authority
3.more right to expect obedience
strengths? resersch suport
-blackmans new york city had 3 diff confederates fits- jacket and tie, milkman and security guard and asked ppl to do certain orders e.g pick up litter.
-twice as likely to obey secuirty gaurd rather than man in jacket and tie.
-supports uniform situational variable view- affects obedience.
strength no.2? cross cultural replications
- meews and raajj used realistic procedure- Ps had to say stressful things in job interview to someone a confederate desperate for job = 90% Ps obeyed
-when prsn giving orders wasent present- the obdience decreased
-so milgrams study not jus limited to americans or men- valid for women too.
Weaknesses? cultural differences
- smith and bond - identified replications in india and jordan- culturally diff to the US.
milgrams findings on promixity, location,validity may not be applicable to all people in all cultures.
-different notions ab role of authority
weakness number 2 low internal validity
2.low internal validity- behaviour isnt natural- Ps may have been aware of procedure aims.
There was extra manipulation of variables when experimenter replaced w member of public- Ps may have worked out the truth.
(unclear if Ps genuinley obedient or able to see thru deception and ‘play acted’.
weakness number 3 - danger of situaitional perspective
1.it gives an excuse for evil behaviour which is widely critiscised.
2. offensive to survviors of holocaust saying that nazis were just obeying orders.
ignores dispositional factor (personality) saying Nazis were victims of situiational facors beyond their control
what is the agentic state?
-obedience to destructive authority occurs as a prsn doesnt take responsiblity
- instead theyre acting for someone else ‘agent’
- experience high moral strain and anxiety(know what theyre doing is wrong but feel powerless to disboey)
what is the autonomous state?
-opposite to agentic, inpendant or free
-responsible for own actions
what is the agentic shift?
-shift from autonomy to agency
-someone percieves someone else as a authority figure
- authority figure has more power, higher in social hierarchy
what are binding facotrs?
- when participants want to disobey but seemed powerless
- binding factors made them remain in a agentic state - minimise the damamging affect of their behavioir
-reduces their moral strain
-shift reponsiblity to vicitm e.g they voulnteered so theyre foolish
what is legitimacy of authority?
-obey people who are higher in social hierarchy bc they deserve to be respected
-they have more power and can inflcit a consquence
what is destructive authority?
-people may be ordered to behave in cruel ways
-may cause alot of damage
strengths of research support:
(milgram and kelman and hamilton)
-when experimenters in milgrams study responded they are responsible, the Ps went through the procedure quick with no further objections
-16% women went up to 450 volts and german Ps was 85%, in some cultures authority is more likely to be accepted as legitmate, reflects societies structures and how children are rasied
-kelman and hamilton argue commander officers would have greater legitmate hierachy than hospital doctors as they have the greater power to actually inflict a punishment.
limitations of research support:
(nurses, battle and innate tendancies)
- doesnt explain jacobsons and ranks study where they found; 16 out of 18 nurses diobeyed a doctor telling them to give an excessive drug dose
doctor was an obvious auhtority figure
nurses remained autonomous
-battalion 101= this is where men shot many civillians in small town in poland (told they could be assingned to other duties if preffered but they behaved autonomously)
-particular Ps may just be more or less disobdient than others, innate tendencies to obey or disobey may have greater infulence than legitmacy of authority.
summary of adornos et al study?
-those who scored highly identified w strong people and disrespct the weak
-conscious of status, obedient to high status
-respect authority
-believe we need strong and powerful leaders to enforce traditional values such as love of country
what was adorno et al saying about obedience?
(were living in Nazi germany but ran to USA,
to carry on with their research, freudians)
-high level of obedience and prejudice was basically a psychological disorder(personality)
-piloted and developed the questionaire that they called the F scale( facism)
- some personality traits predisposed some individuals to be highly tolitarian (controling) and antidemocractic
evidence to support adorno et al
-case studies e.g nazis
-psychometric testing (personality test- F scale)
-clinical interviews- revealed situational aspects of their childhood such as the fact they had been brought up by strict parents/ guardians- Ps who scored higher in F scale.
what is authoritarian personality?
-oebying people in auhtority even when orders are destructive
- submissive to those of higher status and dismissive of inferiors.
-often uncomfortable w uncertaintity
what causes a authoritrian personality?
-physical punishment - causes black and white thinking- categorise their childrens behaviout into good or bad (no middle ground)
-parents insisted them to be asexual and not angry(causes bottled up urges)
- cant express feelings bc they fear punishment
-good & bad behaviour is put seperate(punitive)
-parents are harsh & high standards
