How does 'touch proximity' affect obedience compared to the baseline study?

In the touch proximity variation, obedience dropped from $65\%$ to $30\%$. This occurs because the teacher is forced to witness the victim's pain directly, significantly increasing moral strain and making it harder to ignore the consequences of their actions.

What is the difference between the impact of location and the impact of uniform on obedience?

Location (Yale vs. run-down office) dropped obedience to $47.5\%$, while changing the uniform (lab coat vs. plain clothes) caused a much sharper drop to $20\%$. This suggests that the visual appearance of the authority figure is a more powerful cue for obedience than the prestige of the environment.

How does the proximity of the experimenter influence the participant's behavior?

When the experimenter gives orders via telephone (remote instruction), obedience drops to $20.5\%$. The lack of physical presence makes the authority figure seem less immediate and powerful, allowing the participant to resist the pressure more easily.

What is a common misconception regarding the 'ordinary man' variation in Milgram's study?

A common error is assuming obedience dropped to zero; in fact, $20\%$ of participants still obeyed. This shows that while the lack of a uniform significantly reduces the perception of authority, the situational pressure of the experiment itself still influences some individuals.

Why is it incorrect to attribute Milgram's results solely to the participants' personalities?

Attributing the results to personality is the 'fundamental attribution error.' Milgram's variations proved that by changing situational factors like proximity or uniform, he could drastically alter obedience levels in the same group of people, highlighting the power of the situation over disposition.

What mistake do students often make when describing the 'location' variable?

Students often forget to mention that the run-down office variation still had a relatively high obedience rate ($47.5\%$). They may incorrectly assume that moving away from Yale would stop all obedience, failing to recognize that the scientific context still provided some legitimacy.

Define 'Proximity' in the context of Milgram's situational variables.

Proximity refers to the physical closeness or distance between the teacher, the learner, and the experimenter. It acts as a situational variable that influences the level of moral strain and the perceived pressure to obey.

What is meant by 'Legitimacy of Authority'?

Legitimacy of authority is the perception that a person has a justified social right to issue commands. This is often signaled by situational cues such as a prestigious location or a professional uniform.

What does the term 'Uniform' represent in social influence research?

A uniform is a visual symbol of authority and status. It communicates a person's role and expertise within a social hierarchy, which increases the likelihood that others will comply with their requests.

How does the concept of a 'buffer' explain the proximity effect?

A buffer is a physical or psychological barrier that shields the participant from the consequences of their actions. When the learner is in a different room, the wall acts as a buffer, reducing the teacher's emotional distress and making obedience more likely.

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Milgram's Situational Variables Affecting Obedience

Summary

Milgram's research shifted the focus of obedience from personality traits to situational factors. By systematically varying the physical and social environment of his original experiment, he identified three primary variables—proximity, location, and uniform—that significantly influence an individual's likelihood of following destructive orders from an authority figure.

1. Definition & Core Concepts

Situational Variables refer to external factors in the environment that influence the behavior of an individual, as opposed to internal personality traits (dispositional factors).
Obedience is a form of social influence where an individual follows a direct order from a person they perceive as a legitimate authority figure.
Destructive Obedience occurs when an individual obeys an order that results in harm to another person, often experiencing significant psychological conflict or 'moral strain' in the process.
Milgram's baseline study established a high level of obedience ( $65\%$ ), which served as the control group to measure how specific changes to the environment would increase or decrease this rate.

2. The Variable of Proximity

Physical Proximity describes the distance between the authority figure, the participant (teacher), and the victim (learner).
Teacher-Learner Proximity: When the teacher and learner were in the same room, obedience dropped from $65\%$ to $40\%$ . In the 'touch proximity' condition, where the teacher had to force the learner's hand onto a shock plate, obedience fell further to $30\%$ .
Experimenter-Teacher Proximity: When the authority figure gave orders via telephone from a remote location, obedience plummeted to $20.5\%$ .
Psychological Buffer: Increased distance creates a 'buffer' that reduces the participant's awareness of the victim's suffering, thereby lowering the moral strain and making obedience easier.

Bar chart showing the decrease in obedience percentages as proximity between the teacher and learner increases or proximity to the experimenter decreases.

3. Location and Uniform

4. Key Distinctions: Situational vs. Dispositional

5. Exam Strategy & Tips