Situational Variables affecting Obedience

• Situational Variables: Proximity


  - In Milgram's original study, teacher and learner were in different rooms, so teacher could hear learner but not see them.

  - In proximity variation, they were in the same room, so obedience rate dropped from 65% to 40%.

  - In a more dramatic variation, teachers forced learner's hand onto an 'electroshock plate' when they refused to answer a question and obedience rate dropped to 30%.

  - In a 3rd proximity variation, experimenter left room and gave teacher instructions over the phone and obedience was reduced to 20.5%
• Situational Variables: Location


  - He conducted a variation of the study in a run-down building instead of a prestigious university

  - The experimenter had less authority, so obedience fell to 47.5% from 65%
• Situational Variables: Uniform


  - In original study, experimenter wore a grey lab coat as a symbol of authority

  - In one variation, the experimenter was called at the start of the procedure, and his role was taken over by an 'ordinary member of the public' (confederate) in everyday clothes.

  - Obedience rate dropped to 20%, the lowest of these variations.
• Situational Variables A03: Research Support


  - A field experiment in NYC was carried out where 3 confederates were dressed in three different outfits - civilian outfit, a milkman's outfit and a security guard uniform

  - They stood in the street and asked passers-by to pick up litter or give them a coin to pay for the parking meter.

  - People were twice as likely to obey the security guard than the civilian

  - This supports Milgram's conclusion that a uniform conveys the authority of people and is likely to produce obedience
• Situational variables A03: Lack of internal validity

  
  

  - A criticism is that many PPs worked out that the procedure was fake due to the extra manipulation in Milgram's variations

  - A good example is the variation where the experimenter was replaced by a member of the public, as this situation was very deliberately created

  - This is a limitation because it is unclear whether the results are genuinely to to obedience or because PPs saw through the deception and acted accordingly
• Situational variables A03: Cross-cultural replications 


  - Milgram's findings have been replicated in other cultures

  - For example, amongst Dutch students, an obedience rate of over 90% was found, suggesting that Milgram's conclusions are not limited to American males but are valid across cultures and apply to females too

  - However, it has been pointed out that most replications take place in Western, developed countries (eg, Spain and Australia), which are culturally not that different from the USA, so we still cannot assume that Milgram's situational variables apply to people everywhere.
• Situational Variables A03: Control of variables 


  - A strength is that Milgram altered one variable at a time (eg, proximity) to see what effect it would have on level of obedience.

  - All other procedures and variables were kept the same as the study was replicated over and over again with more than 1000 PPs, meaning they were not just one-offs or happened by chance
• Situational Variables A03: The 'obedience alibi'


  - Milgram's idea that proximity, location and uniform all affect obedience has been criticised as it offers an excuse or 'alibi' for evil behaviour.

  - It is seen as offensive to survivors of the Holocaust to suggest that Nazis were simply obeying orders and were victims of situational factors beyond their control
• What are the 3 situational variables affecting obedience?

  1. Proximity
  2. Location
  3. Uniform