Location: Study show that location picked can undermine experimenter’s authority to limited extent. Shown by variation of run-down office with no link to yale uni & obedience dropped to 48%.
The original study took place in prestige yale uni giving social power as authority figure. Milgram did an experiment in yale uni basement, but little change due to link with the uni.
A dramatic location change such as the slums would undermine experimenter’s credibility & larger reduction of obedience. Supported by Reicher finding change of location reduced identification with the experimenter. More the identification of learner/victim lowers authority & creditability.
Proximity: Milgram argued obedience to an authority figure can be increased by increasing prox of ppt to the learner. PPts were more likely to deliver shocks if learners danger us less obvious. Milgram’s experiment remote feedback where victim not heard or seen (66%) while prox where victim 1m from ppt (40%)
Physical prox is the distance between the learner & ppt. Psychological prox is the ppts awareness of the learner’s positon. Prox is an important factor of obedience for authority figures. Less obedient ppts was when closer to the learner.
Uniform: In Milgram’s studies experimenters wore white lab coats showing status of scientific expertise. Ordinary man lacked uniform of a scientist & therefore lacked the social expertise status.
In another study, the experimenter left the room & a confederate (disguised as a ppt) took over & suggested turning voltage up. Obedience dropped to 20%.
Obedience more likely when those wearing a uniform gave an order. Uniform suggests legitimacy. We are conditioned and socialised to obey when specific authority figures command us.
Bickman: experiment using 3 confederates, 1 as a milk man, 1 in a sports coat and tie, one as a police officer. They had to give ppts 1 of 3 orders. Found that the ppts were more likely to obey the confederate in the police officers uniform.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Milgram – variation run down office showed obedience lvls dropping to 48% due to the change in location – shows that location effects level of obedience by perceived social status with the location.
Bickman – Showed that ppts more likely to obey orders from the police officer than the ppl dressed as milk man or civilian – shows that uniform helps perceive a social status which increases obedience. Application – the study suggests the closer we are to someone the more likely we are to be obedient, the status of a uniform can present authority and that location helps impact obedience – we can encourage obedience in schools or work places by moving employees closer to employers. |
Low task V – Milgram’s tasks were to administer electric shocks from 15-450 v for incorrect trigrams – lacks mundane realism as not a natural task.
Low eco V – Milgram’s research comes from studies carried out in Yale university & over prestige labs – behaviour is artificial reflecting the environment & may not be natural reflection of authority Different theory – authoritarian personality – suggests that ppl are more obedient due to strict upbringing by parents and having developed traits of authoritarianism. – highlights importance of personality and not just situational factors. Milgram – 35% of the ppts did not go up to 450v and stop prior – shows not everyone is effected by situational factors, showing obedience is effected by individual differences. |