Obedience

Banality of Evil

Hannah Arendt's concept of how ordinary people can be persuaded through pressure from authorities or group pressure to harm innocent people, believing it to be normal and justifiable

Legitimacy of authority

An individual is more likely to be obedient when the authority figure is perceived as being legitimate and having power.

Agentic state

A mental state where we feel no personal responsibility for our behaviour because we believe ourselves to be acting for an authority figure, i.e. as their agent.

Factors Affecting Obedience

Physical proximity

Legitimacy of authority figures

Group pressure

Destructive Obedience

obedience to immoral, unethical demands that cause harm to others

How is obedience defined in social psychology?

An active behaviour change due to a direct order.

What is the 'banality of evil' concept?

The idea, proposed by Hannah Arendt, that evil acts can be committed by ordinary people who are simply following orders rather than being inherently sadistic.

What was the purpose of Milgram's obedience experiments told to the participants?

To study the role of punishment in learning.

What was the dependent variable in Milgram's obedience studies?

The maximum shock level administered by the participant before refusing to continue.

What was the range of the shock generator used in Milgram's study?

15 to 450 volts, in 15-volt increments.

What were the four escalating prods used by the experimenter in Milgram's study?

1: Please continue/go on; 2: The experiment requires you to continue; 3: It is absolutely necessary that you continue; 4: You have no other choice, you must go on.

What percentage of participants in Milgram's baseline study administered the maximum 450-volt shock?

Approximately 65%.

How did physical proximity to the learner affect obedience rates in Milgram's study?

Obedience decreased as the teacher and learner became closer (65% in separate rooms vs. 30% in touch proximity).

What was the effect of the experimenter being absent from the room?

Obedience dropped to 20.5%.

How did the institutional prestige of the setting affect Milgram's results?

Moving the experiment to a shabby office building reduced obedience to 48%.

What happened when an ordinary person (not an authority figure) gave the orders?

Obedience dropped to 20%.

What was the result when two experimenters gave contradictory commands?

All participants refused to continue.

How did the presence of rebellious confederates affect obedience?

When two confederates rebelled, obedience dropped to 10%.

What was the obedience rate when the participant acted as an assistant?

92.5%.

What factors contribute to increased obedience according to Haslam, Loughnan, and Perry (2014)?

Legitimacy of the experimenter, distance from the learner, proximity of the experimenter, and lack of social support for disobedience.

Does the frustration-aggression hypothesis explain obedience in Milgram's study?

No; when participants chose shock levels freely, most selected the lowest level.

What was the mean maximum shock level in the baseline Milgram study?

405 volts.

What did the learner do at 300 volts in the baseline condition?

They stopped answering and started kicking on the wall.

What was the obedience rate when the learner provided no feedback?

It approached 100%.

How did the experimenter respond when participants asked about the learner's physical condition?

They stated that while shocks may be painful, there is no permanent tissue damage.

What is the 'agentic shift' in Milgram's theory?

The process where participants switch from feeling personally responsible to seeing themselves as an agent of the experimenter.

What are 'binding factors' in the context of obedience?

Psychological barriers, such as gradual increases in shock levels, that make it difficult for participants to disobey.

According to the Social Identity Account, why do people obey?

Obedience reflects identification with the authority figure and their specific goals rather than being 'blind' compliance.

What is the role of 'legitimacy' in the Social Identity Account of obedience?

Legitimacy is socially constructed, and obedience is maintained as long as the authority is perceived as legitimate.

How does identification with the victim affect obedience?

Increased physical or emotional closeness to the victim reduces the likelihood of obedience.

What percentage of participants in Milgram's original study refused to continue to the maximum shock level?

35 percent.

What was a major internal validity criticism regarding Milgram's participants?

Critics argued participants might not have believed the shocks were real, though stress symptoms suggest otherwise.

What was a criticism regarding the sampling method in Milgram's study?

The sampling was not random, as participants were recruited via newspaper ads and paid.

What did the Hofling et al. (1966) hospital study demonstrate?

High levels of obedience in a natural setting, where 95% of nurses prepared to administer a dangerous drug dose based on a fake doctor's phone order.

What is a key criticism of using Milgram's obedience theory to explain the Holocaust?

The theory is seen as circular, and the 'agentic state' does not account for the gradual, irreversible changes in behavior seen during the Holocaust.

What ethical concern was raised regarding informed consent in Milgram's study?

Participants were not warned about the stressful nature of the experiment and were denied the right to withdraw.

What percentage of Milgram's participants reported being glad or very glad to have participated in the study?

84 percent.

What percentage of Milgram's participants reported being bothered by the study after taking part?

Over 30 percent.

What is the effect of direct instructions like 'You must go on' in Milgram's study?

They were found to be the least effective prompt, often causing participants to stop.

How does the Social Identity Account explain disobedience?

Disobedience occurs when the participant's identification shifts away from the authority figure.

What did Burger's 2009 replication of Milgram's study find?

70% of participants continued beyond 150V when the learner wanted to stop.

What is the primary takeaway regarding situational factors in obedience?

Situational factors often override the influence of an individual's personality.

What happens to obedience when authority loses its legitimacy?

Resistance and disobedience become more likely.

What is the role of social support in resisting authority?

The presence of social support for disobedience makes it more likely that an individual will resist an authority figure.