Obedience
This section examines the concept of obedience in social psychology, focusing on Milgram's groundbreaking experiments.
Definition: Obedience is the act of following orders or commands from an authority figure.
Key points covered:
- Detailed description of Milgram's obedience study
- Limitations of Milgram's research
- Application of obedience research to real-world scenarios
Example: The section uses a workplace scenario to illustrate how obedience principles apply in everyday situations.
This information is crucial for answering multiple choice questions on types of conformity in psychology and understanding the complexities of obedience behavior.
Situational Variables in Obedience
This part explores the situational factors that influence obedience, primarily based on Milgram's variations of his original experiment.
Key situational variables discussed:
- Proximity of the authority figure
- Effect of uniform on obedience
- Other situational factors affecting obedience
Highlight: Understanding how proximity and uniforms impact obedience is essential for explaining why people obey authority figures.
The section also evaluates Milgram's research into situational factors, providing critical insights for questions on types of conformity in psychology gcse and more advanced levels.
Social Psychological Explanations of Obedience
This segment delves into the psychological theories explaining obedience to authority.
Main explanations covered:
- Agentic state
- Legitimacy of authority
Vocabulary: The agentic state refers to a mental condition where individuals view themselves as instruments for carrying out another person's wishes.
The section evaluates these explanations, offering a comprehensive understanding for AQA A Level Psychology social influence exam questions and answers.
Dispositional Explanations of Obedience
This part focuses on personality-based explanations for obedience, particularly the Authoritarian Personality theory.
Key points:
- Outline of research into the Authoritarian Personality
- Description of a study investigating Authoritarian Personality
- Comparison of situational and dispositional explanations of obedience
Example: The section uses a dialogue between two students to illustrate different perspectives on obedience causes.
This information is valuable for addressing Psychology social influence exam questions AQA and understanding individual differences in obedience tendencies.