1.6 Explanations for Obedience

• Legitimate authority refers to the perceived right of an authority figure to command obedience.
• Individuals are more likely to comply with an authority figure when they are seen as legitimate.
• How does legitimate authority affect obedience levels?

  Increases obedience
• A uniform associated with power can increase obedience by enhancing the perception of authority.
• In Milgram's experiment, the prestigious university setting contributed to the perception of legitimate authority.
• What are situational factors that can affect obedience according to the legitimacy of authority concept?

  Proximity and location
• Dispositional factors are personality traits and moral beliefs that affect obedience.
• How does an authoritarian personality affect obedience?

  Increases obedience
• People with an external locus of control tend to obey more because they attribute their actions to external forces.
• What role does moral reasoning play in obedience levels?

  Lower reasoning increases obedience
• What are dispositional factors in obedience?

  Personality traits and beliefs
• Individuals with an authoritarian personality are more likely to obey due to their respect for authority
• People with an internal locus of control tend to obey more than those with an external locus of control.

  False
• What is the effect of lower moral reasoning on obedience?

  Increases obedience
• Order the following dispositional factors based on their typical effect on obedience (highest to lowest):

  1️⃣ Authoritarian Personality

  2️⃣ External Locus of Control

  3️⃣ Lower Moral Reasoning
• What is obedience defined as in psychology?

  Complying with authority
• Milgram's experiment investigated obedience, even when participants were instructed to administer painful shocks.
• What percentage of participants in Milgram's experiment obeyed up to 450 volts?

  65%
• Milgram's experiment showed that individuals are highly susceptible to obedience, even when it involves inflicting harm on others.
• Situational factors affecting obedience include proximity, location, and uniform.
• How did proximity affect obedience in Milgram's variations?

  Lower obedience over phone
• Obedience rates decreased when Milgram moved his experiments to a rundown office building.
• A uniform associated with authority, such as a lab coat, increases obedience.
• Match the situational factor with its effect on obedience:

  Proximity ↔️ Obedience is higher when authority is nearby

  Location ↔️ Obedience is higher in formal settings

  Uniform ↔️ Obedience is higher when authority wears a uniform
• Order the situational factors affecting obedience from highest to lowest impact:

  1️⃣ Legitimate Authority

  2️⃣ Proximity of Authority

  3️⃣ Proximity of Victim
• What were the obedience levels in Milgram's experiment when the experimenter was in the same room as the participant?

  65%
• In Milgram's experiment, obedience levels were higher when the experimenter was in the same room
• Situational factors significantly influence obedience levels.
• Match the situational factor with its effect on obedience:

  Legitimate Authority ↔️ Increases obedience when perceived as legitimate

  Proximity of Authority ↔️ Increases obedience when closer

  Proximity of Victim ↔️ Decreases obedience when closer
• In Milgram's experiment, obedience levels dropped when instructions were given over the phone
• What are the two states described in the agentic state theory?

  Autonomous and agentic
• The agent shift occurs when an individual moves from the autonomous to the agentic state.
• What is the definition of obedience?

  Complying with commands
• Milgram's experiment aimed to investigate obedience to authority.
• In Milgram's experiment, 65% of participants obeyed up to 450 volts.
• What does an individual in the autonomous state feel responsible for?

  Their own actions
• The transition from the autonomous to the agentic state is called the agent shift.
• What does legitimacy of authority refer to?

  Perceived right to command obedience
• Legitimacy of authority increases obedience levels.
• Match the factor affecting obedience with its effect:

  Legitimate Authority ↔️ Increases obedience when perceived as legitimate

  Uniform ↔️ Increases obedience when associated with power