Situational Variables Affecting Obedience

• What are situational variables?

  External factors which influence levels of obedience
• What are the three situational variables?

  Proximity, location and uniform
• What were the three variations for proximity Milgram carried out?

  1, Teacher and learner in same room 2, Teacher forced learner's hand onto a shock plate 3, Experimenter gave orders over the phone
• What effect did proximity have on obedience?

  1, Teacher and learner in same room = obedience dropped to 40% 2, Teacher forcing hand onto shock plate = obedience dropped to 30% 3, Experimenter gives orders over phone = Obedience dropped to 20.5%
• What variation did Milgram carry out to investigate the effect of location?

  Study conducted in a run-down office as opposed to Yale University
• What effect did location have on obedience?

  When in run-down office obedience dropped to 47.5%
• What variations did Milgram carry out to investigate the effect of uniform on obedience?

  Experimenter replaced with an ordinary member of public dressed in everyday clothes
• What effect did the uniform variation have on obedience?

  Obedience dropped to 20% when experimenter dressed in everyday clothes.
• Describe 3 conditions in which obedience would be maximised

  1, The person giving order is wearing a uniform 2, The person giving orders is in close proximity to them 3, The location is prestigious