Situational variables

• What are situational variables in the context of obedience research?

  Factors such as proximity, location, and uniform that may influence obedience levels.
• What was the effect of proximity on obedience in Milgram's variations?

  Obedience dropped from 65% to 40% when the Teacher and Learner were in the same room.
• What happened in the touch proximity variation of Milgram's study?

  The Teacher had to force the Learner's hand onto the electroshock plate, and obedience dropped to 30%.
• What was the obedience rate in the remote instruction variation of Milgram's study?

  Obedience reduced to 20.5% when the Experimenter gave instructions by telephone.
• Why did decreased proximity lead to higher obedience rates?

  Decreased proximity allows individuals to psychologically distance themselves from the consequences of their actions.
• What was the obedience rate when Milgram changed the location to a run-down office block?

  Obedience fell to 47.5% in the run-down office block.
• How did the prestigious Yale University setting affect obedience in Milgram's study?

  The prestigious setting gave the study legitimacy and authority, leading to higher obedience rates.
• What role did the Experimenter's uniform play in Milgram's study?

  The Experimenter's uniform symbolized authority, which encouraged obedience.
• What was the obedience rate when the Experimenter was replaced by a confederate in everyday clothes?

  The obedience rate dropped to 20%, the lowest of the variations.
• Why do uniforms encourage obedience according to Milgram's findings?

  Uniforms are widely recognized symbols of authority, leading people to expect obedience.
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Milgram's research on obedience?

  Strengths:

  • Research support from other studies demonstrating situational variables' influence.
  • Cross-cultural replications showing findings are valid across cultures.

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Low internal validity due to participants possibly recognizing the procedure as fake.
  • Limited cross-cultural applicability as most replications were in culturally similar countries.
• What did Leonard Bickman's field experiment in New York City demonstrate?

  People were twice as likely to obey a confederate dressed as a security guard compared to one in a jacket and tie.
• What did Wim Meeus and Quintin Raaijmakers find in their replication of Milgram's study?

  90% of Dutch participants obeyed orders to say stressful things to a confederate desperate for a job.
• What is a counterpoint to the claim that Milgram's findings are universally applicable?

  Replications of Milgram's research are limited to culturally similar countries, questioning the generalizability of the findings.
• What criticism did Martin Orne and Charles Holland make regarding Milgram's study?

  They argued that participants may have realized the procedure was faked, affecting the validity of the findings.
• What is the danger of the situational perspective in understanding obedience?

  It may oversimplify the reasons for obedience by attributing it solely to situational factors rather than individual personality traits.
• How might a student's behavior be influenced by situational variables when asked to pick up litter?

  A student's likelihood to obey may increase if asked by someone in a uniform compared to someone in casual clothes.