variables affecting

• Location (was conducted in a prestigious university/Yale)

  • When location changed to run down office in a run down part of town obedience fell from 65% to 48%
  • This is because the experiment was conducted in a 'seedy office', legitimate authority of the experimenter was reduced
• Uniform · If an authority figure is wearing a uniform it is more likely a person will obey their orders · When the experimenter wore a white lab coat obedience was 65% this reduced when the authority figure was replaced by an ‘ordinary member of public wearing everyday clothing (20%)
• Proximity · When the authority figure is closer to the participants – obedience increases · When experimenter was in the room in Milgram’s study – obedience was 65% when orders were given over the phone obedience dropped (20%) · When participant is closer to the victim obedience decreases.
• AO3 - Gender bias – only used male ppt – difficult to generalise to females as they may obey differently to situational factors of obedience.
• AO3 - Research to support by Bickman – found that when a person giving the order to pick up litter was dressed in a security guard uniform the participants were more likely to obey than if they were wearing a shirt and tie – showing that uniform increases obedience – supporting the role of situational variables in obedience.