AO3

• P: S of Milgram's study into uniform is there is evidence to support it

  From Bickman

  • Bickman had three Ps dress in three different outfits
  • = jacket and tie, milkman and security guard
  • Ps stood in street asking people to perform tasks such as litter picking
  • People were twice as likely to obey P dressed as a security guard
  • = this shows uniform conveys authority, and is a situational factor

  THEREFORE the findings into the effects of uniform are RELIABLE (consistent) 

  BECAUSE there have been other studies that have come to the same conclusion as Milgram's
•  

  P:S M’s findings are cross-culturally valid

  • ETS Miranda et al = she found an obedience rate of over 90% for Spanish students
  • = Milgram's conclusion about obedience isn't just compatible with Americana males, but also females and many other cultures 

  HOWEVER where the other studies have taken place (Spain and Australia) are not that dissimilar to the culture of USA

  THEREFORE we cant assume that Milgram's findings on obedience can apply to everyone all over the world

  BECAUSE there are individual differences with everyone so you have to factor that into every conclusion
• Another strength is that his variation studies are high in internal validity 

  • Repeated his study hundreds of times (with over 1000 Ps in total)
  • He kept everything exactly the same (highly controlled lab) except he changed one variable at a time ( uniform, location, proximity)
  • = allowed him to draw valid conclusions about the effects of these situational variables.

  THEREFORE we know exactly what effect each condition had

  BECAUSE there were no other extraneous variables to interfere with the results
• However M’s conclusions about situational explanations for the Holocaust were controversial 

  • David Mandel argued that it is offensive to survivors of the holocaust to say that Nazis were just obeying orders and copying everyone else
  • They can't blame the holocaust on Nazis being out of control of situational factors

  THEREFORE this suggests Milgram's findings might not be useful to help explain situations such as the Holocaust 

  BECAUSE not everyone agrees that people can blame awful behaviour on the fact they are just obeying orders and that situational factors are out of their control