Obedience

• Obedience is performing a behaviour ordered from another person- the person who gives the instruction usually has power or authority
• Milgram (1963):

  Hypothesis: situational context can lead to ordinary people to inflict harm on others

  Method: laboratory experiment at Yale University, 40 volunteer male participants. assigned 'learner' and 'teacher'- confederate always learner.

  Results: all participants delivered 300V shock; 65% of participants delivered 450V; 3 participants had seizures
• W- Low internal validity (Milgram):

  May not be testing what intended; 75% of participants believe shocks were genuine. Orne & Holland (1968) argued participants behaved that way because they didn't believe the set up. Perry (2013) listened to tapes of Milgram's study and confirmed half of participants believed shocks were real. Participants may have responded to demand characteristics trying to fulfil the aims of the study
• W- Alternative interpretation (Milgram):

  Conclusions about blind obedience may not be justified. Haslam et al. (2014) showed Milgram's participants obeyed when experimenter delivered first three verbal prods. However, participants given fourth prod ('you have no other choice, you must go on') without exception disobeyed. Social Identity Theory- participants only obeyed when scientific aims were identified ('experiment requires you to continue'); when ordered to blindly obey authority figure, they refuse
• W- Ethical Issues (Milgram):

  Deception- participants not told true nature of study

  Right to withdraw- participants ordered to continue, not free to leave

  Distress- Baumrind (1964) criticised Milgram for causing distress; 84% of Milgram's participants were glad to have participated, assessed by psychologist 1 year after with no harm

  Informed consent- participants not informed of purpose of the study
• Milgram- Situation Variables Affecting Obedience:

  Proximity- teacher and learner in the same room

  Obedience dropped from 65% to 40%

  Proximity- touch proximity: teacher forced to force learners hand onto electrocuting plate

  Obedience dropped to 30%

  Proximity- remote instruction: experimenter leaves room and gives instructions via phone

  Obedience dropped to 20.5%
• Milgram- Situation Variables Affecting Obedience:

  Location- study moved from Yale University to rundown building

  Obedience from to 47.5% (still high but less than baseline)
• Milgram- Situation Variables Affecting Obedience:

  Uniform- experimenter originally wore a lab coat (authority); experimenter is called away and 'ordinary member of public' takes over

  Obedience drops to 20%
• Bickman (1974) carried a field study where an experimenter approached passers-by on a city street and asked them to carry out small, inconvenient tasks; experimenter either dressed in a jacket and tie or a guards uniform

  Individuals twice as likely to obey guards orders
• S- Cross-cultural replications, Meeus & Raaijmakers (1986)(Variations):

  Dutch participants ordered to say stressful things in an interview to someone (confederate) desperate for a job. 90% of participants obeyed
• W- Cross-cultural replications, Smith & Bond (1990)(Variations):

  Argued Milgram's research is not 'cross-cultural'. Only two variations between 1968-1985 were in 'non-western' countries (India & Jordan). Therefore, may not be accurate to generalise Milgram's findings and variations to other cultures
• W- Low internal validity: Orne & Holland (1968)(Variations):

  Argued that participants were aware that the procedure was faked. They point out that this would have been the case in the variations too, as these were even more contrived.
• Hofling et al. (1966):

  Nurses given instructions over telephone when alone to give overdose of a drug that was not on their ward list ('Astroten')

  95% of nurses (21/22) started administering drug without question; majority of nurses will obey dangerous orders
• Rank & Jacobson (1977):

  Nurses given instructions over telephone using a familiar name while with others to given overdose of known drug (Valium)

  2/18 nurses obeyed; only small minority of nurses will obey dangerous orders
• Situational variables of the authoritarian personality are explanations that focus on the influences that stem from the environment in which that individual is found