SITUATION VARIABLES AFFECTING OBEDIENCE

Question 1

LOCATION

Answer 1

• the study was carried out at yale university, this location gave participants confidence that the study was legit and they trusted the experimenters more.
• another study was carried out at a less prestigious location in a run down office,
• obedience rates dropped slightly to 48% administering the 450v.

Question 2

WHAT DID MILIGRAM FIND (UNIFORM)

Answer 2

• the experimenter was called away and replaced by an ‘ordinary member of the public’, meaning they were not wearing the ‘uniform’ of a grey lab coat
• (the obedience rate dropped to the lowest of all the variations to 20%)

Question 3

PROXIMITY

Answer 3

• In Milgram’s original study, the teacher and the learner were in the adjoining rooms.
• The teacher couldhear the learner but not see him. In the proximity variation, teacher and learner were in the same room and the obedience rate dropped from 65% to 40%

Question 4

control over variables a strength

Answer 4

• A strength is that Milgram’s research has control of variables. Milgram systematically altered one variable at a time to test the effects on obedience.
• Other vaiables were kept constant as the study was replicated many times with over 1000 participants
• This control gives us more certainty that changes in obedience were caused by the variable manipulated, showing
• cause and effect relationships.

Question 5

reserach support by bushman

Answer 5

• when asked to give money for parking ticket, 72% gave money to women in police uniform, 52% gave money when dressed as beggar, 48% gave money when dressed as buisness woman.
• pp said they gave policewoman money bc she had authorty

Question 6

Kilman and Mann (1974)

Answer 6

replicated Milgram’s original study procedures in Australia
but found that only 16% of the participants shocked the learner at the maximum voltage level of 450V

Question 7

Mantell (1971)

Answer 7

• obedience in germany was 85% This cross‐cultural comparison
• shows that different societies follow alternative hierarchical
  structures and children may be socialised differently from a young age to be more, or less, obedient.

Question 8

one limitation is the danger of situational perspectives

Answer 8

• miligrams conclusions suggests situational factors determine obedience
• mandell argues this offers an excuse (alibi) for genocide, situational exp highley oversimplify the causes of the holocaust and are offensive to surviveours
• this permits others to excuse destructive behaviour in terms of “i was just obeying orders”