Bickman's Study (Uniform)

• What was the aim of the Bickman Study?

  To see how uniform affected people's levels of obedience
• What type of hypothesis was the Bickman study?


  A uniformed guard will have more ability to influence others than the same person in a low-authority uniform.
• What was the research design in Bickman's study?

  Type of experiment

  Field experiment - takes place in a real-world setting rather than a lab. (+ ecological validity)
• What was the sample for Bickman's study?


  • 153 people
  • in Brooklyn, New York (cultural bias)
• Procedure of Bickman's study?

  Variables


  IV: Type of uniform (police officer, milkman, civilian)

  DV: Levels of obedience - measured by how many people obeyed

  Control: Same experimenters, same commands
• What were the 3 commands given in Bickman's study?


  1. Pick up a bag of litter
  2. Give a dime to someone for a parking meter
  3. Stand at the other side of the pole at the bus stop
• How did they measure levels of obedience in Bickman's study?


  By how many people obeyed
• Results of Bickman's study? Percentages


  Guard: 89

  Milkman: 57

  Civilian: 33
• Research design of experiment 2 of Bickman's study


  Also a field experiment (ecological validity)
• Sample of Bickman's study (experiment 2)

  48 adult pedestrians

  in Brooklyn, New York again
• Procedure of experiment 2 Bickman's study? Variables

  IV: Guard, civilian

  Surveillance or no surveillance

  DV: How many people obeyed

  Control: Same experimenters, same commands
• What was the command given in experiment 2 of Bickman's study?


  Give a dime to someone for their parking meter
• What was the aim of experiment 2 of Bickman's study?


  To see if surveillance or no surveillance AND uniform after given a command would affect levels of obedience
• What were the results of Bickman's study experiment 2?


  • Surveillance had no effect on whether the participant obeyed or not.
  • The guard was obeyed more than the civilian.
• Research design on experiment 3a+b of Bickman's study?


  Questionnaire
• Sample of experiments 3a+b in Bickman's study?


  3a - 141 college students

  3b - 189 college students
• Procedure of experiment 3a Bickman's study?


  • 29 hypothetical scenarios (incl. original study scenarios)
  • Whether or not they were perceived as more legitimate based on uniform (guard, milkman, civilian)
• Results of experiment 3a in Bickman's study?


  In the 3 original scenarios, the guard was not perceived as more legitimate than the other uniforms.

  The participants did not think the experimenters' uniforms made their REQUESTS any more legitimate.
• Procedure of experiment 3b of Bickman's study?


  • Participants were asked to predict what they would do in one of those scenarios from experiment 1.
  • They were also asked to predict what others would do.
• Results of experiment 3b in Bickman's study?


  Participants didn't think the guard would have more social power in the scenarios. (compared to other uniforms)
• Conclusion for experiment 3 of Bickman's study?


  How people think they would behave in a situation is not a good predictor of true behaviour.
• Conclusion of experiments 1 and 2 of Bickman's study?

  Uniform does have an effect on obedience.

  People are more likely to obey people wearing uniforms as it suggests they are an authority figure.

  • And to a lesser extent, those with less authoritative uniforms (milkman)
• Conclusion of Bickman's study overall?


  Uniform does have an effect on obedience.

  People are more likely to obey people wearing uniforms as it suggests they are an authority figure.

  • And to a lesser extent, those with less authoritative uniforms (milkman)

  How people think they would behave in a situation is not a good predictor of true behaviour

  The results support situational factors as it shows that level of obedience is affected by the dress of the person giving the order.
• How do the results of the Bickman's study support the situational factors theory?


  The results of the study show a situational explanation for obedience, as it shows that level of obedience is affected by the dress of the person giving the order.

  This is a situational factor.
• 3 criticisms of Bickman's study

  1. Cannot be generalised

  • Cultural bias (Brooklyn, New York)
  • Small sample for experiment 2
  • Gender bias - no female confederates

  2. Ethical considerations

  • No informed consent/debrief
  • Could be embarrassed

  3. Unreliable

  • Extraneous variables such as time
  • The orders were culturally relative.