5. Obedience - Situational Variables

• 1. Obedience - Situational Variables

  Milgram (1963) - Variations:

  Proximity.

  • Baseline study, teacher heard learner, not see.
  • Variation, teacher + learner in same room = obedience dropped from 65% to 40%.
  • Touch proximity, teacher forced learner’s hand onto plate = obedience dropped to 30%.
• 1a. Obedience - Situational Variables

  Milgram‘s (1963) - Variations:

  Location.

  • Baseline, Yale Uni.
  • Variation, run-down office block = obedience fell to 47.5%.
  • Still high obedience in office block = ‘scientific nature’.
• 1b. Obedience - Situational Variables

  Milgram’s (1963) - Variations:

  Uniform.

  • Baseline study, experimenter wore lab coat.
  • Variation, experimenter called away + replaced by ‘ordinary member of public’ (confederate), everyday clothes = obedience dropped to 20%.
• 1c. Obedience - Situational Variables

  65% - Yale Uni (Location V).

  47.5% - Office (Location V).

  40% - same room (Proximity V).

  30% - forces hand (Proximity V).

  20.5% - orders by phone (Proximity V).

  20% - member of public (Uniform V).
• Obedience - Situational Variables (Evaluation)

  Strength:

  P - other studies, influence of situational variables on obedience.

  E - Bickman (1974), 3 confederates dress in outfits (jacket/tie, milkman, security guard).

  E - asked public pick up litter, twice likely obey security guard.

  L - situational variable (i.e. uniform) effects obedience.
• Obedience - Situational Variables (Evaluation)

  Strength:

  P - Milgram’s findings replicated in other cultures.

  E - Meeus + Raaijmakers (1986), Dutch participants asked to say stressful things to someone (confederate) desperate for job; 90% obeyed.

  E - proximity, when person giving orders not present, obedience decreased.

  L - Milgram’s findings not limited to Americans/males, valid across cultures/females (increases generalisability).
• Obedience - Situational Variables (Evaluation)

  Limitation:

  P - replications of Milgram not cross-cultural.

  E - Bond + Smith (1998), 2 replications that took place in non-Western countries.

  L - not appropriate conclude findings about variations generalisable to all cultures.
• Obedience - Situational Variables (Evaluation)

  Limitation:

  P - may’ve know procedure fake.

  E - Orne + Holland (1968) criticises variations due to manipulation of variables.

  E - e.g. when experimenter becomes ‘member of public’.

  L - unclear if findings due to obedience or bc saw through deception (demand characteristics).