Situational variables affecting obedience - Milgram

How does proximity affect obedience?

The closer the person in a position of power is when giving orders the more likely you are to obey. In Milgram’s variation, when instructions were given over the phone obedience dropped to 21%

How does proximity of victim affect obedience?

When the teacher and learner were in the same room obedience dropped from 65% to 40%. The further you away from the victim you do not directly see the consequences

How does location affect obedience?

People are more or less Leila to obey depending on their surroundings. When the study was conducted in a run down office obedience dropped to 47.5%

How does uniform affect obedience?

Uniform indicates to people an authority status. When being instructed by a man in ordinary clothes the percentage of participants who went to 400 volts dropped from 65% to 20%

Explain supporting evidence as a strength of proximity

Shows how physical closeness influences moral responsibility. Being distant from an authority figure weakens influence and reduce obedience. However Holfings study found 21 out of 22 nurses to follow instructions over the phone

Explain supporting evidence as a strength of location

Yale university gave the study scientific credibility. People are more likely to obey when authority appears official. Holfings study found 21 out of 22 nurses to obey in a hospital setting. However, drop in obedience in run down office setting was relatively small

Explain supporting evidence as a strength for uniform

Visible symbols of authority increases obedience. Bickman’s found people were more likely to obey a person dressed as a security guard than in ordinary clothes when asked to pick up litter. However, Bickman’s had a lack of control over extraneous variables, so result may be affected by time of day, location etc

Explain methodological limitations as a limitation

The procedure lacks realism. The variations were contrived and more likely to trigger suspicion. Orne and Holland argued that participants guessed shocks weren’t real. Suggesting obedience may have been due to demand characteristics. However, Milgram’s reported many people showed signs of distress suggesting they believed the setup was genuine