Strengths

• A strength of this study is that there is research support for the role of uniform in obedience.
• Bickman found that people are more likely to obey someone dressed as a guard (89%) than someone dressed as a civilian (33%) as he didn't realise how much a uniform could influence someone to obey.
• Carried out an observation testing how many people would be obedient to a guard, a milk man and a civilian.
• 153 random people were tested.
• He told them to give orders to the civilians.
• He found that people are more likely to obey someone dressed as a guard (89%) than someone dressed as a civilian (33%), showing people are more likely to listen to someone in uniform.
• This suggests that uniform gives a person legitimate authority, and that people are more likely to obey someone who looks like they have authority. Uniform has validity as a situational variable affecting obedience
• One strength is Milgram has been praised for systematically changing the variables.
• Milgram had high levels of control over the situational variables he changed and it was possible to closely monitor the effects of each variation on obedience levels. Over 1000 ppts took part across all his studies, providing a solid evidence base.
• This suggests there is certainty that changes in obedience were caused by the variables manipulated, showing cause and effect relationships and internal validity.