Obedience

What does Theodore a dorno claim?

He claimed obedience happens because of a persons personality or disposition rather then for situational reasons

Initially interviewed former nazi soldiers and found evidence of an authoritarian peristaltic in those who were especially obedient

What is an authoritarian personality

1. Someone who has an active dislike of those they eye as having an inferior social status to

Bvr- dominating and bullying manner

2. Someone with a fixed inflexible outlook

Bvr- cannot tolerate ambiguity will not change mind

3. Highly convential ideas of right and wrong good and evil

Bvr- traditional ideas, dislike change and disorder

4. Someone who has extreme respect for authority

Bvr- respectful and obedient to authority figures

Why do people have authoritarian personality?

Harsh parenting - strict discipline, expectation of loyalty, high standards criticisms of calling , conditional love

These experiences create hostility and despair

What is a situational variable?

Features of the immediate physical and social environment which may influence a persons behaviour

How does proximity affect obedience in milgrams study?

People are more likely to obey an authority figure who isi in close physical proximity in milgrmas original study the experimenter was in the same room as the participant hence the high obedience

Proximity affects how aware individuals are fo the consequences of their actions in obeying an authority figure

Strengths and weaknesses of proximity in milgrams study

+ In milgrams variation where the teacher and learner were in the same room obedience rates dropped to 40% when the physical distance between the teacher and learner was made closer pps were less able to divorce themselves from the consequences of their actions and so obedience rates were lower

- Mandel challenges the proximity variable arguing it does not explain real atrocities claiming proximity is not borne out in real life events. Mandel is concerned that proximity explanations is used as an alibi offering an excuse fro evil bvr and implying that the nazis were victims of situational factors beyond their control

How does location affect obedience in milgrams study?

Milgrams study took place at Yale uni, giving the study credibility and respect in the eyes of the pps, making them more likely to obey

In less prestigious locations obedience rates decrease. This suggests that status of location effects obedience it impacts the perceived amount of authority a person giving order has

Obedience is high in institutionalised settings eg: schools, army where obedience is installed into members

Strengths and weaknesses of location in milgrams study

+the effect of location was seen in milgrams variation conducted in a run down office block rather than take uni obedience fell to 47.5% In the uni environment gave the study legitimacy authority. However obedience was still quite high in the office blocks because the pps perceived the ‘scientific’ nature of procedure

-Fromm claims that because milgrams pps knew they were part of a scientific experiment they were more likely to obey than in real life. In a lab setting the experiment they were more likely to obey than in real life in a lab setting the experimenter acts as a representative of science in a prestigious institution. In contrast real life obedience is a lot more difficult to achieve as a result we have to be cautious of drawing conclusions from milgrams study regarding the power of location

How does uniform affect obedience in milgrams study?

Research has shown that uniforms have powerful influence on obedience. They convey a widely recognised visible sign of power and legitimate authority and are instantly recognisable. In his original experiment milgrams experimenter wore a lab coat as a symbol of his scientific expertise and authority

Strengths of uniform in milgrams study

+this was seen in milgrmas replication whereby obedience levels dropped to 20% when the authority was a member of the public dressed in ordinary clothes

+it was also seen in brick man’s study where 3 confederates dressed in different outfits - jacket +tie, milkman’s outfits and security uniform. The confederates individually stood In the street and asked passers by to preform talks such as picking up little or handing over a coin for the parking meter. People were twice as likely to obey the assistance dressed as a security guard than the one dressed in a jacket and tie

What is agentic state?

Individuals believe they are acting on behalf of someone else and that they are nit responsible for their actions (they act as an agent and completely the orders under a mental state in which they feel no sense of responsibility or guilt for their bvr)

The individual might feel some moral strain or anxiety when an order goes against their conscience but are powerfully to disobey

What is agentic shift?

When people are in the presence if a perceived authors figure they make a change from being autonomous to taking on the agentic state

This is what milgram named an agentic shift

What is legitimate authority?

Society is structured in a hierarchy with those at the top holding positions of authority such as police officers parents and teachers. As society dictates their position their authority is seen to be legitimate and we accept that they can exert their power in order to keep society in order .

What did Kerman and Hamilton suggest about legitimate obedience

3 main factors explaining legitimate obedience

1. Legitimacy of the system concerns the extent to which the ‘body’ is a legitimate source of authority

2. Legitimacy of authority within the system

3. Legitimacy of demands / orders given is the power individuals hold to give orders because of their position in the system Legitimacy=. This refers to the extent to which the order is perceived to be a legitimate area for the authority figure

Cultural differences - legitimacy authority

Studies show that countries differ in the degree in which people are traditionally obedient to authority

Kilham and Mann replicated milgrams study In Austrialia and found that only 16% of pps went to the top of the voltage scale

On the other hand mantell found 85% of German pps deleievred max shock this shows that in some cultures authority is more likely to be accepted as legitimate

This reflects the way different societies are structured and how children are raised to preserve authority

This supports the legitimate authority explanation. This is because people are socialised in different cultures about obeying people in legitimate authority. Australia is rebellious culture and Germans highly respect authority figures

Real life support - legitimate authority

Tarnow provided support for the power of legitimate authority studying avlation accidents. He studied data from all serious accidents he studied data from all serious accidents in the USA between 1978 and 1900 he found excessive dependence on the captains authority and expertise even when the captain was taking risks and flight crew were aware of this they still didn’t question the legitimate authority of the captain

This supports legitimate authority explanation this is because people do not want to disobey people with a higher position

The agentic state and historical events - agentic state

Milgrams claim that people shift back and forth between autonomous and agentic state fails to explain the gradual irreversible transition that lift on found in his study of German doctors working at auschwitz. He found those doctors changed from ordinary caring medical professions to being capable of carrying out vile lethal experiments on innocent people

This challenges the agentic state explanation you don’t permanently stay in the agentic state. Doctors can’t become permanently lethal. You always come back to the autonomous state

A limited explanation - agentic state

The agentic shift doesn’t explain many research findings it doesn’t explain why some of the participants refused to obey in milgrmas study it also doesn’t explain the findings in hoflings study the agentic shift would predict that as the nurse handed over responsibility to the doctor they should have shown high levels of anxiety as they understood their role in the destruction process. This was not the case

This challenges the agentic state explanation this is because it is overgeneralised and ignores peoples strong sense of morals not everyone will obey