Situational factors

• Describe proximity as a situational variable


  The physical closeness or distance of an authority figure to the person they are giving an order to. In Milgrams study, this could apply to the teacher and learner.
• How did Milgram use proximity in his experiment?


  Originally the teacher and learner were in adjoining rooms. (65% obedience) In the variation, both teacher and learners were in the same room. (40% obedience)
• What is touch proximity?


  When the teacher forces the learners hand onto a electric shock plate when they refused to answer a question.
• What is remote proximity?


  The experimentor uses a phone to give instructions to the teacher.
• Describe location as a situational variable


  Refers to a place where the orders are issued. The status or prestige of a location influenced obedience.
• How did Milgram use location in his experiment?


  Originally the experiment took place in yale (65% obedience) and then in the variation, a run down office was used (47.5% obedience)
• Describe Uniform as a situational variable?


  Peoples position in authority often have specific outfit that is symbolic of there authority. This indicates to the rest of us who is entitled to expect our obedience.
• How does Milgram use uniform in his experiement?


  Originally, the experimentor wore a lab coat and experienced 65% obedience. Then a memeber or public was used as an experimentor and experienced 20% of obedience.
• Explain Bickmans experiemtn and it relation to Milgram


  He tested the ecological validity of milgrams work, by conducting an experiment in a realistic setting (NYC).

  Three males asked pedestrians to take a bag us some stairs. They were dressed as police, milkman and civillian.
• What did Bickmans experiment find out about milgrams experiemnt.


  Provided further evidence that obedience is influenced by the amount of authority a person is percieved to have.
• Explain Bushmans experiemt and its relation to Milgram


  A female was dressed as either police, business executive o a begger, She stopped PPS in the street and asked them to give a man a dime for parking.

  - Police were obeyed by 72%

  - Business exectives were obeyed by 48%

  - Beggers were obeyed by 52%

  PPS said they obeyed the police as she had authority
• Explain Hofling experiment in relation to milgram?


  21 of 22 nurses obeyed instructions to deliver high dosage of unauthorised drugs to patients. It concluded:

  - the processes of obeying can be generalised to to the situations.

  - The lack of ecological validity are still unfounded

  - DOES NOT support proximity variable as instructions were given out over telephone. Legitimacy of settings is more important than proximity.
• Explain the demand characteristics of Milgrams experiemnt


  Orne and holland (1968) claimed that milgram variations were deliberate and even more likely to trigger suspicion in PPS.

  This is because PPS were taking part in each condition and this could have resulted in extensive demand characteristics and weakening validity.
• Explain the obedience alibi


  Some people consider a situational perspective on the holocaust offensive, becuase it removes personal responsibility from perpetraitors. To suggest that Nazi exicutioners of jews were only doing there duty obeying orders applies they were still victims of situational pressures. And anyone faced with similar situations would have behaved in the same way. Ruinning the risk of trivialising genocide.