Obedience: situational variables

Define situational variables

factors that Milgram believed influenced the level of obedience shown by ppts. They are related to the external circumstances rather than the personalities of the people involved

What are these 3 situational variables in this instance?

proximity, location and uniform

How did proximity affect obedience?

• when teacher and learner were in the same room obedience dropped to 40% as ppts could se consequences of actions

• obedience dropped to 30% when teacher was asked to force learner’s hand onto an electroshock plate

• when the researcher left the room and gave instructions via phone, obedience dropped to 20.5% - authority figure was far away

How did location affect obedience?

• when the experiment moved from Yale to a new location in a run down office building, obedience dropped to 47.5% because the experimenter has less authority

How did uniform affect obedience?

• the experimenter was called away for a phone calla at the start of the experiment. The role of the experimenter was taken over by an ‘ordinary member of the public’ (confederate) in everyday clothes

• obedience reduced to 20% without a uniform

How is the fact that there is strong supporting evidence for Milgram’s research a strength? (+counter/development)

as it supports Milgram’s conclusion that uniform acts as a powerful situational factor that increases obedience by conveying authority.

C:however, field experiments like Bickman’s may lack control over extraneous variables (e.g. time of day, crowd size), so it is difficult to be certain that uniform alone caused the differences in obedience.

Give an example of this strength

for example, Bickman (1974) conducted a field experiment in New York where confederates dressed in a guard’s uniform, a milkman’s outfit or as a civilian. He found that people were twice as likely to obey the guard than the civilian

How is the fact that Milgram’s variations may lack internal validity a limitation?

as it means obedience rates may have been inflated due to demand characteristics, reducing the validity of the study

Give an example of this limitation

Orne & Holland (1968) argued that participants in the original study already had doubts about whether the shocks were real. This issue may have been even worse in some variations, such as the experimenter replaced by a “member of the public.”

How is the fact that Milgram carefully controlled his variables a strength? (+counter/development)

as high control means that we can be confident that any change in the obedience rate is solely as a result of the variation that is being manipulated

D : additionally, controlling variables like this also means that it is possible for other researchers to replicate the study in the same way

Give an example of this strength

for example, he systematically altered one factor at a time (e.g. proximity, location, uniform) while keeping all other conditions the same.

How is the fact that Milgram’s explanation downplays personal responsibility, which doesn’t sit well with the justice system a weakness?

as it creates ethical and legal issues, as it risks excusing criminals for their behaviour. It also risks excusing atrocities such as war crimes by blaming them solely on authority pressure

Give an example of this disadvantage?

for instance, if obedience is seen as purely situational, then individuals who commit crimes under orders could argue they are not accountable, since their behaviour was shaped by external pressures.