situational variables

• situational variables


  changes in the environment that affect behaviour
• situational variables affecting obedience

  1. proximity of authority figure
  2. proximity of victim
  3. location
  4. uniforms
• Effects of proximity of the victim


  When the participants could see the learner react to distress obedience dropped from 65% to 40%
• Effects of location


  When held in run down office building instead of Yale University obedience dropped to 47.5%
• Why might the location of the experiment have made a difference to obedience?

  Yale university is a respected location with high social status. In universities, professors and scientists are seen as knowledgeable, and have authority over others. So, being in the university might have increased the perceived legitimacy of authority of the experimenter.
• Effects of proximity of authority


  When experimenter was placed in another room and gave orders over the phone, obedience decreased to 23%
• Effects of uniform


  When the researcher was dressed in normal clothes instead of a lab coat, obedience decreased to 20%