Week 1 Context and Authority PDF

The Context of Interactions and Authority WEEK 1 Disposition or Situation?  Disposition: The person is “predisposed” to the behaviour  Situation: The context impacts the given behaviour  How much does the situation impact our behaviour? Authority and Obedience  The Authoritaria...

The Context of Interactions and Authority WEEK 1 Disposition or Situation?  Disposition: The person is “predisposed” to the behaviour  Situation: The context impacts the given behaviour  How much does the situation impact our behaviour? Authority and Obedience  The Authoritarian Personality  Obedience to authority based on context Ash Line Experiment  Subjects were asked to compare the length of lines first alone and then in groups.  One line on the left served as the “target line” while 3 lines were presented on the right.  The subjects were supposed to pick the line which was closest in length to the target line.  “Group members” were actors instructed to intentionally give the wrong answer. Example 1 Example 2 Ash Line Experiment Continued  Accuracy of answers given alone differed from answers given in groups.  When the subject was given an ally, the subject became more likely to give the correct answer.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYIh4MkcfJA  The implication is that we see value in following the group. Group Conformity  Informational Conformity: We often believe that others possess better information than we do.  Normative Conformity: We conform because we want to follow the norms of the group. Milgram Experiments  Subjects were told they were part of an experiment on how people learn.  They administered “shocks” to a victim they could not see. The shocks increased in intensity with every wrong answer.  As the shocks increased in intensity, the victim would communicate stronger reactions.  The victim was an actor.  No shocks were sent but the subjects were not aware and were continually pushed by the principal administrator to continue. Milgram Experiments Continued  The vast majority (65%) of subjects continued until the maximum voltage even when the victims begged to stop the experiment.  Different variations of the experiment produced different results.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOYLCy5PVgM  The implication is that the context can be a determinant of obedience to authority. Stanford Prison Experiment (Zimbardo)  Participants were chosen for an experiment simulating prison life.  Each participants was assigned as playing either a guard or prisoner.  Over the first few days of the study, participants began to fully embody the roles they were given.  The study became so abusive that it had to be ended early. Criticisms  Subject Bias  Researcher Bias