Obedience Soc 7

These flashcards cover key concepts and findings related to obedience as discussed in the lecture, including Milgram's study, factors reducing obedience, and the Stanford prison experiment.

Obedience

Following the orders of a person in authority, typically involving a lower status individual complying with the wishes of someone of higher status.

Milgram’s Study (1963)

An experiment investigating obedience where participants were instructed to administer electric shocks to a learner for incorrect answers.

Maximum Voltage in Milgram's Experiment

65% of participants administered the maximum shock of 450 volts.

Factors that Reduce Obedience

Factors include victim proximity, authority proximity, legitimacy of authority figure, and presence of dissenters.

Victim Proximity

Lower obedience when the learner is physically present; even lower when the teacher must physically place the learner's hand on the shock plate.

Legitimacy of Authority

Obedience is more likely in a recognized institution (Yale laboratory) than in a less legitimate setting (downtown office).

Role Adoption

The duty determined by one's position in a hierarchy, leading to behavior changes based on expected group norms.

Stanford Prison Experiment

A study where participants were assigned roles of 'prisoner' or 'guard' to explore the psychological effects of perceived power.

Gradual Commitment

The principle where small initial requests lead to compliance with larger requests later, also known as the 'Foot-in-the-door' technique.

Zimbardo’s Conclusions

Situational factors rather than dispositional factors drive behavior, as shown by how participants adapt to roles in the Stanford Prison Experiment.

Criticism of Zimbardo’s Conclusions

Participants were merely role-playing based on stereotypes, leading to evidence that behavior can vary significantly across similar situations.