situational variables affecting obedience

Subdecks (1)

Cards (21)

  • define situational variables?
    • refers to features of a setting/environment that influences behaviour
  • name 3 situational variables?
    1. proximity
    2. uniform
    3. location
  • proximity?
    • original - experimenter was in same room as p to give instructions - 65% obeyed to give 450v
    • variation - experimenter gave instructions via phone call
    • obedience rates dropped to 20% for 450v
  • link proximity situational explanation?
    • agentic shift is less likely to occur when proximity between person giving & receving orders is greater
    • leads to lower levels of obedience
    • if you are far away from person giving order you are less likely to see them as responsible for your actions
    • remain autonomous
  • uniform?
    • original - experimenter wore grey lab coat - 65% obeyed to give 450v
    • variation - orders given by confederate wearing ordinary clothes
    • obedience rates dropped to 20%
  • link uniform to situational explanations?
    • uniforms are used in society to notify us who is in position of responsibility such as those in police/security guard
    • obedience increases when uniform indicates legitimate authority
  • location?
    • original - yale uni - prestigious environment
    • variation - in run down offices in working class of bridgeport
    • obedience rates dropped from 65% to 47.5%
  • link location to situational explanations?
    • some locations increase/decrease legitimacy of authority
    • if order comes from location linked with legitimacy it is likely it will obeyed in comparison to less legitimate location
  • 3 X of situational variables affecting obedience?
    1. critique of methodology
    2. lacks ecological validity
    3. unethical
  • * evidence to support findings from hoflings nurses?
    • experiment where doctor (who wears uniform) asked nurses to give larger dosage of drug to patients that could kill them
    • 20/21 nurses obeyed due to doctors wearing uniform causing nurses to perceive them as a legitimate authority figure
    • shows uniform is sign of legitimacy in society
    • makes d.o occur even if order is unjust/immoral
  • X critique of methodology?
    • as field experiment bickmans fidings may have more relevance to situational variables than lab studies by milgram
    • his research was in controlled artificial environment lacking natural behaviour from p
    • bickmans research conducted in real world making it more ecologically valid
    • ecological
    • milgrams variation does not provide empirical evidence for factors affecting obedience
  • 2 * of situational variables?
    1. evidence to support role uniform plays from bickman
    2. evidence to support from hofling
  • * evidence to support uniform from bickman?
    • conducted field experiment where confederate dressed in either casual jacket/milkman uniform/security guard jacket
    • asked real p in park to pick up litter
    • more obedience when wearing security uniform (76%)
    • when wearing casual jacket obedience was 30%
    • mans uniform made him appear more/less like legitimate authority
    • empirical evidence for uniform
    • shows how uniform can impact levels of obedience in real world
  • X lacks ecological validity?
    • milgrams variations conducted in controlled setting using artificial task
    • experimenter gave instructions via phone call telling p to give electric shock for incorrect response
    • orne & holland claim that his study lacks experimental realism
    • 75% in variations assumed that victim was not really hurt
    • results cannot be generalised to impacts of variables on real life obedience levels
  • X unethical?
    • p were unaware of true aim of study
    • were told study was about punishment & learning when it was about obedience to authority
    • breaks deception
    • could not give fully informed consent
    • p suffered great deal of stress breaks protection from harm - believed were harming someone
    • may be more ethical ways to investigate & see which factors affect levels of obedience
  • what is proximity?
    • distance between person giving & receiving orders