the role of situational factors in obedience

What is the first situational factor?

Proximity

• refers to how close the person is to their consequences when obeying an authority figure

• Milgram found that distance between Mr Wallace and the participant influenced the obedience rate

• The distance between the experimenter also effects the obedience - the pressure is lessened if they are in different rooms

What is the second situational factor?

Location

• some locations increase the perceived legitimacy of the authority figure

• Milgram’s study in Yale University would be thought to increase obedience rates

What is the third situational factor?

Uniform

• uniform can give the perception of greater authority

• Expect obedience rates to be higher if the person is in uniform

Evaluation point 1

P - Research evidence to support proximity

E - Milgram found that when the teacher and learner were in the same room, obedience dropped to 40% - when the experimenter left the room, obedience dropped to 20.5%

E - shows that having to directly face the consequences of your actions/ not being directly faced with the authority figure

L - reduces obedience

Evaluation point 2

P - Research evidence to support the role of location and uniform

E - Bickman found that 92% of pedestrians obeyed an order to giving a stranger money for a parking meter when the person was in uniform compared to 49% when not in uniform - uniform leads to obedience. Milgram found that when he moved the study to a seedy downtown office and the experimenter was a member of the public, obedience dropped to 48% - location leads to obedience

E - both factors can be linked to the concept of legitimate authority

L - A uniform or prestigious location both increase the impression of legitimacy increasing obedience

Evaluation point 3

P - research fails to consider other factors that may be important

E - Kilman and Mann replicated Milgrams study in Australia and found that only 16% shocked the learner to 450 volts whereas Mantell found 85% obeyed in Germany

E - The cross cultural comparison shows that in different societies, children may be socialised differently suggesting that other factors may have a more important role in obedient behaviour