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 one variation teacher 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%
• Situational Variables: Location


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


  - 3 confederates were dressed in three different outfits - civilian, a milkman and a security guard uniform

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

  - The obedience rates were the highest for the guard

  - This supports Milgram's conclusion that a uniform conveys the authority of people and is likely to produce obedience
• AO3 Situational Variables: Real World Application

  • Situational variables can be seen to be used in real life
  • In prisons and schools, uniforms are used and worn to be an indicator of authority and demand obedience
  • Proximity is also shown for example as students may misbehave when the teacher leaves the room but will be obedient when the teacher is in the room
• AO3 Situational Variables: Ignores other explanations

  • Dispositional factors such as Authoritarian Personality may be why someone may obey more than others
  • This is having a strict harsh upbringing and seeing the world black in white
  • It may lead to being oppressive to those below them and extremely obedient to those below them
  • Situational variables may not be the only thing contributing to someone being obedient
• AO3 Situational Variables: Cross cultural replications

  • Milgram's findings have been replicated in other cultures
  • Dutch students obedience rate was over 90% suggesting Milgram's conclusions are not limited to American males but are valid across cultures and apply to females too
  • Most replications take place in Western countries such as Spain and Australia which are culturally not that different from the USA, so we cannot assume that Milgram's situational variables apply to people everywhere