Situational variables - Milgram Variants

Baseline study

65% of participants administer maximum shock

Location

When study was conducted in a run down office, obedience dropped to 47.5%

Proximity

When teacher and learner are in the same room, obedience drops to 40%

Uniform

When researcher wears regular clothes, obedience drops to 20%

Bickman

Dressed 3 confederates in 3 different outfits: a milkman’s uniform, a jacket and tie and a security uniform. These confederates then gave participants tasks such as picking up litter. People obeyed the man in the security uniform twice as often

Holland

Argued that Milgram’s variations were too contrived, for example when uniform was investigated participants likely discovered the aims of the study, introducing participant variables and explaining the low levels of obedience

Miranda et al.

90% of Spanish students were willing to obey