Situational variables affecting obedience: Milgram

situational variables

features in the environment that participants might encounter

example of situational variables

proximity, location anduniform

proximity in milgram's experiment - normal

normal: teacher and learner in the same room. obedience dropped from 65% to 40%.

touch proximity in milgrams experiment

teacher forces the learner's hand onto the electric shock plate. obedience dropped to 30%

remote instruction in milgrams experiment

experiment gave instructions over a telephone outside the room. obedience dropped to 20%

how proximity affects obedience

decreased proximity allows people to psychologically distance themselves from the consequences of their actions. ( when in separate rooms obedience was highest so they couldn't see the harm they were inflicting)

location in milgrams experiment

conducting the experiment in a run-down office block rather than yale university. obedience fell to 47%

how location affects obedience (Milgram)

the prestigious uni gave the study legitimacy and authority, therefore they also perceived the experiment with the same legitimacy. the office block was less prestigious.

uniform in milgrams experiment

in the baseline study, the experimenter wore a lab coat. however in this variation the experimenter was called away at the start of the procedure and the role was taken over by an 'ordinary member of the public' (confederate) who was in everyday clothes. obedience rate dropped to 20%

how uniform affects obedience

uniforms are widely recognised as symbols of authority and therefore encourage obedience

research support for uniform - bickman

three confederates were dressed in different outfits (jacket and tie, a milkman's outfit and a security guard uniform). they stood in the street individually and asked strangers to do tasks like pick up litter. people were 2x as likely to obey the security guard than the suit and tie

research support for uniform - meeus and raaijmakers, cross-cultural replication

dutch participants (different procedure). they were tasked to interview candidates and had to say stressful things in an interview with a confederate who was 'desperate for a job'. 90% if participants obeyed. also replicated proximity (giving orders but not being present) & found obedience dropped.

limitations of research of situational variables - low internal validity

participants could've been aware that it was an experiment. e.g. the uniform variable was so obviously staged that they may have just responded to the demand characteristics and play-acted.