Individual Differences in Obedience

This section examines how personal characteristics and traits can affect an individual's tendency to obey authority.

Personality plays a significant role in determining obedience levels. Three key personality factors are discussed:

1. Locus of Control: This concept refers to the extent to which people believe they have control over their lives and actions.

Definition: Locus of Control is the degree to which individuals feel they are in control of their own situation and lives.

• External Locus: People who tend to believe their behavior is beyond their control.
• Internal Locus: Those who believe they are responsible for their actions.

Example: In Milgram's 1963 experiment, participants who obeyed often cited the experimenter's responsibility for their actions, demonstrating an external locus of control.

2. Authoritarianism: This personality trait is characterized by a tendency to submit to authority figures and be hostile towards minority groups.

Definition: Authoritarianism is a personality trait characterized by hostility to people of minority groups and submissiveness to authority figures.

Highlight: Adorno developed the "F-Scale," a questionnaire designed to measure authoritarianism.

3. Empathy: The ability to understand and share the feelings of others.

Research findings on these personality factors include:

• Dambrun & Vatine's computer simulation of Milgram's experiment found that higher authoritarianism scores correlated with increased obedience.
• Milgram & Elms (1966) compared F-Scale scores for obedient and defiant participants, finding that obedient individuals had higher authoritarianism scores.
• Burger (2009) discovered that high empathy scores led to more protests against giving electric shocks, but didn't necessarily result in lower obedience levels.

Highlight: The impact of personality and authoritarianism on obedience is significant, with those scoring higher in authoritarianism tending to be more obedient, possibly due to their submissiveness to authority or desire to punish perceived subordinates.

Gender Differences in Obedience

This section explores how gender may influence obedience levels in social psychology experiments.

Initial predictions suggested that women might be less obedient due to higher empathy levels, or more obedient due to stereotypical compliance with male authority. However, research findings present a more complex picture:

1. Milgram's Variation:

   • 40 female teachers showed virtually identical obedience rates (65%) to male participants.
   • 27.5% of women stopped at 300V, similar to men.
   • Women reported significantly higher anxiety levels than men.

2. Burger's 2009 Study:

   • Confirmed higher reported anxiety in female participants.

3. Blass (1999):

   • Found consistent obedience levels between males and females across 9 out of 10 studies.

4. Kilham & Mann (1974):

   • Replicated Milgram's study in Australia.
   • Found women far less obedient (16%) than men (40%).
   • This difference may be due to gender pairing in the experiment, with female teachers feeling solidarity with female learners.

5. Blass (1991) Meta-analysis:

   • Analyzed 9 studies and found that only Kilham and Mann's study showed significant gender differences.

Highlight: Gender differences in obedience according to Milgram experiment and subsequent studies are generally minimal. However, women tend to report higher levels of emotional tension during obedience experiments.

Quote: "Overall, gender seems to make little difference to obedience. However, there are emotional response differences with women reporting more tension."

Situational Variables Affecting Obedience

This section examines how various situational factors can influence obedience levels in social psychology experiments.

1. Momentum of Compliance:

   • Experiments often start with small, trivial requests that don't cause anxiety.
   • Initial requests commit participants to the experiment, making them feel duty-bound to continue.
   • In Milgram's experiment, voltage increased in 15V increments, gradually escalating the situation.

2. Proximity:

   • Closer proximity of the authority figure leads to higher obedience levels.
   • Closer proximity of the victim results in lower obedience levels.
   • When the learner was in a different room, obedience reached 100%.

Vocabulary: The 'buffer' of obedience refers to the proximity of the victim in obedience experiments.

3. Status of Authority Figure:

   • Obedience is strongest when the authority figure is perceived as legitimate.
   • Evidence comes from Milgram's Variation 10 (Run Down Office Building) and Variation 13 (Ordinary Man Gives Orders).
   • In less prestigious environments or when orders came from individuals without perceived authority, obedience levels dropped.

4. Personal Responsibility:

   • Obedience was highest when participants felt the experimenter was responsible for any harm caused.
   • In a variation where participants had to sign a contract taking personal responsibility for their actions, obedience fell to 40%.

Highlight: Situational variables play a crucial role in determining obedience levels, with factors like proximity, perceived authority, and personal responsibility significantly impacting participants' behavior.

Cultural Influences on Obedience

This section explores how cultural differences may affect obedience levels across various countries and contexts.

Several studies have replicated Milgram's experiments in different cultural settings:

1. Ancona & Pareyson (1968) - Italy:

   • Replicated Milgram's studies using students.
   • Obedience rate: 80%

2. Slater (2006) - United Kingdom:

   • Used computer simulation to replicate Milgram's studies.
   • Obedience rate: 73.9%

3. Meuss & Raijjmakers (1986) - Netherlands:

   • Participants were ordered to psychologically abuse job interviewees.
   • Obedience rate: 92%

4. Schurz (1985) - Austria:

   • Participants gave bursts of ultrasound to a learner.
   • Obedience rate: 80%

5. Blass (1991) - United States:

   • Reviewed all obedience studies.
   • Average obedience rate: 60.94%

Highlight: Despite cultural variations, obedience rates remain consistently high across different countries and experimental settings.

Example: The Netherlands study by Meuss & Raijjmakers showed a particularly high obedience rate of 92%, even when participants were asked to psychologically abuse job interviewees.

These cross-cultural studies demonstrate that the tendency to obey authority figures is a widespread phenomenon, not limited to any specific culture or region. However, it's important to note that the specific manifestations of obedience may vary based on cultural norms and values.

Page 6: Gender Analysis

This page presents comprehensive research on gender differences in obedience, including studies by Milgram, Blass, and Kilham & Mann. The findings generally indicate minimal gender-based variations in obedience levels.

Quote: "Overall, gender seems to make little difference to obedience. However, there are emotional response differences with women reporting more tension."

Page 7: Situational Variables

This page examines how environmental and contextual factors influence obedience, including momentum of compliance, proximity, authority figure status, and personal responsibility.

Definition: Momentum of Compliance refers to the gradual escalation of requests that leads to increased obedience over time.

Example: The voltage increases in 15V increments in Milgram's experiment exemplify momentum of compliance.

Page 8: Cultural Influences

This page presents cross-cultural studies on obedience, featuring research from various countries including Italy, UK, Netherlands, and Austria. The findings demonstrate relatively consistent obedience rates across different cultures.

Highlight: Blass's 1991 review found an average obedience rate of 60.94% across all studies in the United States.

Factors Affecting Obedience in Social Psychology

This document explores the various factors that influence obedience in social psychology. It covers individual differences, situational variables, and cultural aspects that contribute to obedient behavior.

Definition: Obedience in social psychology refers to the act of complying with orders or instructions from an authority figure, even when those orders may conflict with personal beliefs or moral standards.