Obedience : situational variables

• 3 situational variables that might lead to more or less obedience .

  Proximity . Uniform and location
• Proximity 


  The physical closeness or sitsnce of an authority figure to the person they are giving an order to.
• uniform 


  People in positions of authority often have a specific outfit that is stmbolic of their authority , for example police officers and judges . This indicates that they are entitled to expect our obedience
• Location 


  The place where an order is issued. The status or prestige accociated with the locaruin
• one strength of Situational variable did Research support

  Other studies have demonstrated the influence of situational variables on obedience . I. A field experiment in NYC a researcher had 3 confeds dress diffo outfits . Jacket and tie , a milkman’s outfit and a security guards uniform . The confeds stood on the street and asked passer-bys to eh pick up lifter . Ppl were x2 as likely to obey the confed dressed as a security guard than the one dressed in a jacket and tie . Thus supporting th e view that a situational variable , such as uniform, does have a sigfig effect on obedience
• One limitation of situational variables is the low internal validity 


  PTs may have been aware the procedure was faked . Researchers made this criticism on milgrams baseline study . They point out it is even more likely in his variations . The variation where the (E) is replace by a member of public is an eg . This situation was so contrived that PTs could have workerd out the truth . Therefore in milgrams studies it is unclear wherher the findings hard genuinely sure to fhe ioeratjon if obedience or because the participants saw through the deception man’s just ‘play acted ‘
• graoh showing ..

  obedience level in Milgrams variations of his baseline test