Social Psychology - Obedience to Authority

Questions and Answers

What is obedience to authority?

Obedience can be defined as a form of social influence that causes an individual to comply with a direct order given by another individual who is usually regarded as an authority figure.

What was the aim of Milgram's 1963 study?

To determine whether ordinary people will obey a legitimate authority even when required to injure an innocent person.

What was investigated in Milgram's 1963 study?

How authority influences conformity.

Describe the procedure of Milgram's 1963 experiment.

40 male volunteers were told they were participating in a study of how punishment affects learning. They administered shocks to a learner whenever the learner answered incorrectly, even when the learner showed signs of distress. Signup and view all the answers

What methodological issues were identified in Milgram's experiment?

Lacked internal validity due to demand characteristics and external validity since the lab setting was unlike real life. Signup and view all the answers

What ethical issues were raised about Milgram's experiment?

Deception, lack of informed consent, psychological harm, and right to withdraw. Signup and view all the answers

What criticisms have been made against Milgram's 1963 experiment?

Darley (1992) raised issues about moral conversion and obedience alibi, while Mandel (1998) has criticized aspects of the experiment. Signup and view all the answers

What support is there for Milgram's 1963 experiment?

Supporters argue it promotes skepticism towards authority and has led to better ethical standards in psychological research. Signup and view all the answers

Why do people obey authority figures?

Due to situational and personality factors. Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by Legitimate Authority?

It refers to authority figures recognized by society as having the right to direct others. Signup and view all the answers

What is the concept of Gradual Commitment?

It refers to the foot-in-the-door effect where complying with a small request makes it difficult to refuse larger requests. Signup and view all the answers

What is Contractual Obligation in the context of obedience?

Feeling bound to continue due to having agreed to participate and accepted one's role. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Agentic State?

A state where individuals act as agents of others, transferring responsibility for their actions to an authority figure. Signup and view all the answers

What are Buffers in the context of Milgram's experiment?

Any aspect of a situation that protects individuals from confronting the consequences of their actions. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Obedience to Authority

Defined as a form of social influence where individuals comply with orders from authority figures.

Milgram's Study (1963) Aim

Investigated whether ordinary people would obey authority even to the point of harming an innocent person.

Milgram's Study Overview

Aim: Explore authority's influence on conformity.
Participants (teachers) administered shocks to confederate (learner) who answered incorrectly, despite visible distress from the shocks.
High rates of obedience observed; participants continued shocking the learner even at high voltage levels.

Milgram's Procedure

40 male volunteers participated, deceived into believing the study was about learning.
Fixed lots assigned naive participants as teachers, while confederates acted as experimenter and learner.
Shock machine used to demonstrate the procedure; learner pretended to feel pain under increasing shocks.
Experimenter encouraged teachers to continue via prods if they expressed a desire to stop.

Methodological Issues

Orne & Holland (1968) critiqued the internal validity, suggesting participants recognized the scenario's artificiality and succumbed to demand characteristics.
External validity questioned due to the experimental situation's difference from real-life scenarios.

Ethical Issues

Concerns include deception of participants, lack of informed consent, psychological harm, and right to withdraw being compromised.

Further Criticisms

Darley (1992) questioned moral conversion and obedience justification, while Mandel (1998) presented additional critiques.

Support for Milgram's Findings

Advocates argue that Milgram's research promotes healthy skepticism towards authority and informed the development of ethical guidelines in psychological research, improving standards.

Reasons for Obedience

Several factors influence obedience, categorized into situational (context-based) and personality (individual traits).

Legitimate Authority

People are more likely to obey figures deemed legitimate by societal norms, often regardless of their actual knowledge.

Gradual Commitment

The foot-in-the-door phenomenon explains that small initial agreements (like minor shocks) make it challenging to refuse larger requests.

Contractual Obligation

Individuals may feel compelled to continuously participate due to the psychological contract formed upon agreement to take part.

The Agentic State

Refers to individuals acting as agents of authority, distancing themselves from personal responsibility for their actions.

Buffers

Buffers mitigate confrontation with consequences of actions. Milgram's variations illustrated that proximity affected levels of obedience; higher obedience occurred with distance from the victim.

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Description

Explore the concepts of obedience to authority through flashcards that delve into key definitions and studies, including Milgram's 1963 experiment. This quiz helps to understand the dynamics of social influence and compliance in various situations.