Gender

• Findings on gender differences in obedience

  • Women are more obedient: Sheridan & Kings (1972) found 100% of women were fully obedient in ordering real electric shocks to a puppy, compared to 54% of men.
  • Men are more obedient: Kilham & Mann (1974) replicated Milgram's study in Australia and found 40% of men were fully obedient, compared to only 16% of women.
  • Moral reasoning differences: Gilligan (1982) suggested men use an "ethic of justice" focused on equality and fairness, while women use an "ethic of care" focused on nurturing and supporting those in need.
• Explanations for gender differences in obedience

  • Destructive obedience: Men may be more obedient due to a stronger need to obey authority figures, while women feel less obedient due to a desire to be nurturing and supportive.
  • Moral reasoning: The different moral principles used by men (equality, fairness) and women (care, support) can lead to differences in obedience behaviour.
• Strength of Gilligan's theory

  Qualitative research (Gilligan & Attanucci 1988) found that in interviews about real-life moral dilemmas, most participants showed either an "ethic of justice" (more common in males) or an "ethic of care" (more common in females), suggesting gender differences in moral orientations affecting decision making.
• Weakness of Gilligan's theory

  Many studies, including a summary by Thomas Blass (1999) of Milgram's studies, found no significant difference in obedience rates between males and females, suggesting gender does not affect obedience.