Obedience

• What is obedience in social influence?

  A form of social influence following direct orders
• Why did Milgram conduct his research on obedience?

  To understand why Germans followed Hitler's orders
• What is the baseline study in Milgram's research?

  The original study against which variations are compared
• How many male participants did Milgram recruit for his study?

  40 male participants
• What was the age range of participants in Milgram's study?

  20 to 50 years old
• How much were participants paid to take part in Milgram's study?

  $4.50
• What role did the confederate 'Mr. Wallace' play in the study?

  He was the learner receiving shocks
• What was the task assigned to the teacher in Milgram's study?

  Giving electric shocks for wrong answers
• What was the maximum voltage level in Milgram's shock machine?

  450 volts
• What happened when the learner reached 300 volts?

  The learner pounded on the wall and stopped responding
• What instruction did the experimenter give when the teacher hesitated?

  'An absence of response should be treated as a wrong answer'
• How many participants stopped at 300 volts in Milgram's study?

  5 participants (12.5%)
• What percentage of participants continued to the highest shock level?

  65%
• What signs of tension did participants show during the study?

  They sweated, trembled, and stuttered
• What did Milgram's psychology students predict about participant behavior?

  Only 3% would continue to 450 volts
• What did Milgram conclude about German people based on his study?

  They are not inherently different in obedience
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Milgram's study?

  Strengths:

  • Highly controlled lab experiment
  • Research support from replication studies

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Ethical issues due to deception
  • Low ecological validity
  • Lacks internal validity
• What is a situational variable in the context of obedience?

  Features of the environment influencing behavior
• How did proximity affect obedience in Milgram's variations?

  Closer proximity reduced obedience rates
• What was the obedience rate when the teacher and learner were in the same room?

  40%
• What happened in the touch proximity variation?

  Obedience dropped to 30% when forcing hands
• How did the location of the study affect obedience rates?

  Obedience fell to 47.5% in a run-down office
• What role did the experimenter's uniform play in obedience?

  Uniforms symbolize authority and encourage obedience
• What was the obedience rate when the experimenter was replaced by a member of the public?

  20%
• What did Bickman's study support regarding uniforms and obedience?

  Uniforms significantly affect obedience levels
• What is a limitation of Milgram's variations regarding internal validity?

  Participants may have guessed the shocks were fake
• What did Mandel argue about situational explanations of obedience?

  They offer an excuse for evil behavior
• What is the agentic state in Milgram's theory?

  A state where individuals act on behalf of others
• What did Milgram propose about obedience to authority?

  People feel powerless and experience moral strain
• What is the opposite of the agentic state?

  The autonomous state, where individuals feel responsible
• What are the differences between agentic and autonomous states?

  • Agentic state: acts for others, feels moral strain
  • Autonomous state: acts independently, feels responsible
• What sparked Stanley Milgram's interest in obedience?

  The trial of Adolf Eichmann in 1961
• Why did Milgram propose that obedience to authority occurs?

  People believe they are acting for someone else
• What is an 'agent' in the context of obedience?

  Someone who acts for or in place of another
• What do agents experience when they realize their actions are wrong?

  High anxiety or moral strain
• What is the opposite of being in an agentic state?

  Being in an autonomous state
• What does autonomy mean in the context of obedience?

  To be independent or free
• What is the agentic shift?

  The shift from autonomy to agency
• When does the agentic shift typically occur?

  When a person perceives someone as an authority figure
• What are binding factors in Milgram's study?

  Aspects that allow a person to ignore moral strain