Situational variables

• What are the 3 situational variables Milgram believed influenced the level of obedience shown by participants?

  Proximity, location, uniform
• What is proximity?

  The physical closeness or distance of an authority figure to the person they are giving an order to. Also refers to the physical closeness of the teacher to the victim (learner) in Milgram’s studies.
• What is location?

  The place where an order is issued. The relevant factor that influences obedience is the status or prestige associated with the location.
• What is uniform?

  People in positions of authority often have a specific outfit that is symbolic of their authority, for example police officers and judges. This indicates to the rest of us who is entitled to expect our obedience.
• How did Proximity affect levels of obedience?

  When the learner and the teacher were in the same room, obedience rate dropped to 40% from 65%
• What happened to obedience levels when the teacher had to force the learner’s hand onto the ‘electroshock plate’?

  Obedience dropped to a further 30%
• What happened when the experimenter in uniform was replaced by an ‘ordinary member of public’ in everyday clothes?

  Lowest obedience rate of 20%
• Bickman also conducted a study on the effect of situational variables on variables, specifically the uniform of the authority figure
• Bickman conducted a field experiment in New York. The experimenters approached 153 pedestrians (ppts not officially recruited) and asked them to do something
• What happened to obedience levels when the experimenter left the room and gave instructions to the teacher by phone?


  Dropped to 20.5%
• What happened to obedience levels when the location was changed to a run-down office?


  Dropped to 47.5%
• • Rundown office: 47.5 %
  • Same room: 40%
  • Force hand on plate: 30%
  • Phone orders: 20.5%
  • Member of public: 20%
• What did Bickman find?

  People were twice as likely to obey the confederate dressed in the guard uniform than the one in a jacket and tie