Culture - Obedience

Collectivist and Individualistic Cultures - AO1

• The culture you have been raised in can impact levels of obedience. For example, individualist cultures value self-reliance and personal autonomy while collectivist cultures value loyalty to the group, interdependence and cooperation in pursuit of group goals.

• Consequently, it may be believed that people from individualistic cultures are less likely to be obedient due to the emphasis placed on self-determination and independence, while individuals from collectivist cultures like China or Japan are more likely to be obedient due to obligation and a sense of duty which may override the desire to rebel

Collectivist and Individualistic Cultures - AO3 supporting evidnec/Critique

• A strength of the individualist-collectivist argument is supporting evidence from cross-cultural research. Smith and Bond carried out a meta-analysis of cross-cultural studies on social influence including obedience related behaviours. They found that individuals from individualist cultures showed lower conformity & obedience, while those from collectivist cultures showed high obedience. This suggest a difference in levels of obedience in regards to culture - culture does have an impact on obedience

• However, Blass carried out 8 non-US replications of Milgram’s study. He found an average obedience level of 66% compared to 61% in US replications. Shows that across cultures there is no significant difference in conformity & obedience… this may suggest culture may not influence obedience

PDI - AO1

• Another aspect of culture that may have an effect on obedience is the Power Distance Index (PDI). PDI refers to how accepting and accepting members of society are to a hierarchical order and inequality in the distribution of power. In high PDI cultures, individuals expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat. However, in low PDI cultures, individuals expect equality and a say in decision making. Therefore, we may be led to believe that individuals from high PDI cultures show more obedience while individuals from low PDI cultures are more likely to show independence and resistance to authority

PDI - AO3

• A strength of PDI impacting obedience is that there is supporting evidence: Kilham and Mann found a strikingly low obedience level of 28% in Australia which is low on the PDI scale. Furthermore, recent replications in Poland have found a high obedience level of 90% in a country which scores significantly higher on the PDI. These suggest that obedience is influenced by culture and whether a person is raised in high or low PDI culture impacts their level of obedience to authority

• However, culture is not likely to be the sole factor affecting obedience. In Milgram’s variation 7, where pp received orders over the phone, obedience levels dropped to 22.5%. This is important as it highlights that situational factors, such as proximity, can influence obedience. Therefore, culture is not able to fully influence obedience