Evaluating explanations for obedience

RESEARCH SUPPORT FOR THE AGENTIC STATE: Research has provided evidence supporting the significance of the agentic state in explaining the high levels of obedience observed in Milgram’s experiments. Blass and Schmitt (2001) conducted a study where students watched the original footage and were asked to identify the individual responsible for the "harm" caused to the learner. The majority of participants named the experimenter as being responsible. The experimenter, dressed in a white lab coat and positioned as a scientist, was perceived to hold a high status in the social hierarchy, thereby possessing legitimate authority over the situation and its consequences.

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN OBEDIENCE: The acceptance and perception of authority figures as legitimate vary across cultures, leading to differences in obedience rates. Kilman and Mann's (1974) replication of Milgram's study in Australia revealed that only 16% of participants administered the maximum voltage level of 450 volts, whereas Mantell (1971) found that 85% of German participants did so. This cross-cultural comparison demonstrates that societies have different hierarchical structures, and individuals are socialized differently from childhood to be more or less obedient to figures considered legitimate in their respective cultures.

RESEARCH SUPPORT FOR ROLE OF UNIFORM: Research has found evidence to support the idea that the situational variable of uniform can impact obedience rates. Bickman (1974) conducted a field experiment in New York City where confederates asked members of the public passing by to perform a small task such as picking up litter or providing coins for the parking meter. The confederates wore different outfits including a smart suit jacket and tie, a milkman's outfit, and a security guard's uniform. It was found that people were twice as likely to obey the order given by the "security guard", which supports Milgram's notion that a uniform increases the legitimacy of the authority figure and is a situational variable that influences obedience levels.

HIGH LEVELS OF RELIABILITY: Milgram's methodology of systematically manipulating one variable at a time in his experiments to study the impact of variations on obedience is commendable for its high reliability. By exerting strict control over these variations, Milgram was able to closely observe their effects on obedience rates. The procedures adopted were standardized, with variables being kept as consistent as possible. In total, more than 1,000 participants were involved in all of the studies, providing a wealth of evidence that is not typically seen in other areas of research on social influence.