obedience

• What is obedience in the context of social influence?


  A form of social influence in which an individual follows a direct order.
• Who typically issues the orders in obedience situations?


  The person issuing the order is usually a figure of authority.
• What power does the authority figure have in obedience situations?


  The authority figure has the power to punish when obedient behavior is not forthcoming.
• Who conducted the famous obedience experiment in 1963?


  Stanley Milgram.
• What was the main focus of Milgram's experiment?


  The conflict between obedience to authority and personal conscience.
• What historical event motivated Milgram's study on obedience?


  Why the German population followed Hitler's orders during WWII.
• What was the premise of Milgram's obedience study?


  • Teacher (participant) and learner (confederate)
  • Learner strapped to a chair with electric shock plates
  • Teacher administers shocks for incorrect answers
  • Voltage increases from 15 to 450 Volts
• What happens if the teacher refuses to administer shocks in Milgram's experiment?


  The experimenter gives a set of scripted prods to encourage continuation.
• What are the scripted prods used by the experimenter in Milgram's study?


  1. Please continue.
  2. The experiment requires you to continue.
  3. It is absolutely essential that you continue.
  4. You have no other choice but to continue.
• What did the learner say during the experiment that indicated distress?


  “Ow, I can’t stand the pain. Don’t do that!”
• How many male participants were involved in Milgram's study?


  40 males.
• How were participants recruited for Milgram's study?


  They volunteered in response to newspaper adverts and flyers.
• How much were participants paid for their involvement in Milgram's study?


  $4.50.
• What shocking conclusion did Milgram's study reveal about ordinary people?


  Ordinary people are extremely obedient to authority, even inhumane situations.
• What ethical issue was raised regarding informed consent in Milgram's study?


  Informed consent was not obtained as participants were unaware of the study's true nature.
• What was the issue with the right to withdraw in Milgram's study?


  If participants tried to leave, the experimenter issued prods to make them continue.
• What harm did participants experience during Milgram's experiment?


  Participants suffered from stress, with one even having convulsions.
• What was the issue of deception in Milgram's study?


  Participants were deceived to avoid demand characteristics, raising ethical concerns.
• What are the methodological issues identified in Milgram's study?


  1. Sample was purely American men, limiting generalizability.
  2. Potential demand characteristics may have influenced results.
  3. Lacks mundane realism; not an everyday obedience task.
  4. Low ecological validity due to lab environment.
• How did Milgram's study differ from conformity?

  Obedience involves following direct orders, while conformity involves changing behavior to match group norms.
• What are situational variables in Milgram's research?


  • External circumstances affecting obedience
  • Not related to personality traits of individuals
• What effect did proximity have on obedience in Milgram's study?


  Obedience dropped from 65% to 40% when the teacher and learner were in the same room.
• What did Hofling et al. (1996) study demonstrate about obedience in real-life settings?


  • Nurses obeyed a doctor's phone order to administer a drug.
  • 95% complied despite the order being dubious.
• How did the location of Milgram's experiment affect obedience levels?


  Obedience fell to 47.5% when the study was conducted in a run-down building.
• What are the situational explanations for why people obey authority?

  1. Agency Theory
  2. Graduated commitment
  3. Legitimacy
  4. Justifying obedience
  5. The role of buffers
• What is Agency Theory in the context of obedience?


  Agency Theory suggests that individuals feel less responsible for their actions when following authority figures.
• What is the concept of graduated commitment in Milgram's study?


  Committing to obedience in small steps makes it harder to back out.
• How does legitimacy influence obedience?


  Legitimacy relates to how much power the authority figure has and influences obedience levels.
• What role do buffers play in obedience?


  Buffers protect individuals from seeing the consequences of their actions, increasing obedience.
• What characterizes an authoritarian personality according to Adorno?


  1. Hostility to lower-status individuals
  2. Respect for higher-status individuals
  3. Preoccupation with power
  4. Blind respect for authority
• What criticism did Mandel (1998) have regarding Milgram's explanations of obedience?


  Mandel argued that Milgram's explanations are too simplistic for the Holocaust and ignored other plausible explanations.
• What did Goldhagen (1996) argue was the main motivation for the Holocaust?


  Goldhagen argued that anti-Semitism was the main motivation, not obedience.
• How do Milgram's participants differ from Holocaust guards?


  • Milgram's participants obeyed for a short duration.
  • Holocaust guards acted over months and were aware of causing harm.
• What real-life implications can be drawn from Milgram's study regarding obedience?


  • Example: Abu Ghraib prison abuse
  • Soldiers claimed orders from superiors justified their actions.