Social influence - Psychology

• What is the definition of obedience?

  Obedience is when you obey the instructions given by an authority figure.
• What distinguishes blind obedience from regular obedience?

  Blind obedience is obeying instructions without questioning their morality or ethics.
• Why is blind obedience considered problematic?

  Because it involves following morally and ethically wrong instructions without questioning them.
• What date is mentioned in the study material?

  Thursday 5th September 2014
• Who is referred to as an authority figure in the context of obedience?

  An authority figure is someone whose instructions are obeyed.
• How do morality and ethics relate to blind obedience?

  Blind obedience involves following instructions that may be morally and ethically wrong.
• What was the aim of Milgram's study on obedience?

  To test if ordinary people could harm others on the orders of an authority figure
• How did participants believe they were contributing to Milgram's study?

  They thought they were taking part in a study of memory and learning
• Where were participants incited to for the study?

  Yale University
• What role did the actor play in Milgram's study?

  The actor pretended to be getting shocked
• What percentage of participants gave the highest voltage in Milgram's study?

  65%
• What situational factors affected obedience in Milgram's study?

  • Proximity of the authority figure
  • Proximity of the victim
  • Authority figure's appearance
  • Legitimacy of context
• How did the proximity of the authority figure affect obedience?

  Obedience increased when the authority figure was in the same room
• What happened to the percentage of participants who gave shocks when the authority figure was on the phone?

  The percentage of participants who gave shocks decreased
• How did the proximity of the victim influence participants' actions?

  More participants shocked the victim when he was in another room
• What effect did the victim being in the same room have on participants' willingness to shock?

  The percentage of participants who would shock fell
• How did the appearance of the authority figure affect compliance?

  Participants were more likely to comply if the authority figure wore a lab coat
• What was the effect of having a member of the public give orders instead of an authority figure?

  Participants were less likely to comply
• What are the strengths of Milgram's study?

  • Standardised procedure enhances reliability
  • Participants aged 21-50 reflect those from Nazi Germany
  • Findings applicable to encourage soldiers to challenge illegal orders
• What are the weaknesses of Milgram's study?

  • Generalisability limited to men
  • Unethical due to deception about the study's purpose
  • Potential distress for participants who pressed the highest level
• Who devised the F scale to measure authoritarian personality types?

  Adorno
• What does a high score on the F scale indicate?

  It indicates a tendency to blindly obey authority
• What personality type is associated with a high score on the F scale?

  Authoritarian personality
• What is the significance of the F scale in relation to obedience?

  • Measures personality types likely to obey authority
  • Helps understand the psychological basis of blind obedience
• What was the aim of Milgram's study in blind obedience conducted in 1963?

  To test the theory that ordinary people were capable of harming others at the orders of an authority figure.
• How did participants perceive the purpose of Milgram's study?

  Participants believed they were taking part in a study of memory and learning.
• Where were participants invited to for Milgram's study?

  Yale University.
• What role did the 'victim' play in Milgram's study?

  The 'victim' was actually an actor who pretended to be getting shocked.
• What percentage of participants in Milgram's study gave the highest voltage?

  65% of participants gave the highest voltage.
• What situational factors affected Milgram's study?

  • Proximity of the authority figure
  • Proximity of the victim
  • Authority figure's appearance
  • Legitimacy of context
• How did the proximity of the authority figure affect participants' behavior?

  If the authority figure was in the same room, the percentage of participants who gave the shock increased.
• What happened to the percentage of participants who shocked the victim when the authority figure was on the phone?

  The percentage of participants who shocked the victim decreased.
• How did the proximity of the victim influence participants' actions?

  If the victim was in another room, more participants would shock him because the effects could not be seen.
• What was the effect of the victim being in the same room as the participants?

  The percentage of participants that would shock fell.
• How did the appearance of the authority figure affect compliance?

  If the authority figure was wearing a lab coat, more participants would comply.
• What was the effect on compliance when a member of the public gave the orders?

  Participants were less likely to comply.
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Milgram's study?

  Strengths:

  • Standardized procedure increases reliability.

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Only generalizable to men.
  • Ethical concerns regarding deception.
  • Limited understanding of gender factors in obedience.
• What ethical concern was raised regarding Milgram's study?

  Participants were lied to about the purpose of the study.
• How can the findings of Milgram's study be applied to society?

  It can encourage soldiers to challenge authority if asked to do something illegal.
• What is the F scale developed by Adorno used for?

  To check for authoritarian personality types.