1. Zimbardo Exam Practice
What is a social role?
What is the difference between situation and dispositional behaviour?
Ao1 Identification with social roles suggests that people conform to roles by adopting the socially expected behaviours associated with them. Ao3 This theory can be criticised however for not considering individual differences as it does not take into account a person’s disposition which may affect their likelihood of conforming to these roles.

2. Describe and evaluate the findings of one study on conformity of social roles.
Zimbardo’s mock prison experiment assigned participants to the role of prisoner or guard and observed their behaviour. The findings showed that participants conformed to their social role quickly. The Guards asserted their authority and dehumanised the prisoners inventing nasty punishments whereas the prisoners became very distressed to the extent the experiment had to end early. This shows how conforming to social roles can influence behaviour.
Ao3- The Experiment however has been highly criticised as a result of the researcher’s level of involvement and Bias. Zimbardo acted as superintendent and became too involved in the situation. This may have affected the way the prisoners and guards behaved therefore challenging the assumption that the observed behaviour was true and a result of the assigned roles. This therefore questions the internal validity of the research and the support for the theory of conforming to social roles overall.

3. On BWB- 1. what ethical issue is the following picture representing. 2
On BWB- 1. what ethical issue is the following picture representing? 2. List as many ways as you can of dealing with each ethical issue 1. 2 3 4 5

4. Issue
How to deal with it
Deception
Debrief, allow to withdraw data
Informed consent
Get participants to sign consent form but if you can’t then
Presumptive consent, prior general consent, Retrospective consent
Right to withdrawal
Allow them to withdraw and their data
Protection of participants
Debrief fully at the end, make sure participants aren’t under more harm than in a normal everyday setting.
privacy
Personal details must be protected, use initials instead of names.

5. Ways of dealing with ethical issues
Debriefing
Presumptive consent
Prior general consent
Retrospective consent
Consent form

6. Handout
In pairs have a go at completing the handout on ethical issues and ways of dealing with them
Try to be as specific as possible to the scenario

7. Exam question
One situation in which disruption of attachment can occur is when a mother of a young child is admitted into hospital. A researcher decided to study the behaviour of a two-year-old boy who experienced this disruption of attachment. She decided to use naturalistic observation of the boy both before his mother was admitted into hospital and after she returned home. Each period of observation lasted for one hour. The mother had signed a consent form which gave precise details about the procedures of the study
Identify two ethical issues that the psychologist may consider for this study. Refer to the scenario in your answer. (4 marks)
Choose one of the issues above, and make one suggestion about how the researcher would deal with the issue. (2 marks)

8. Model answers (Full marks)
The mother may feel that once she has agreed to the study she doesn’t have the right to withdraw from the study. (1 mark) she may feel really tired or psychologically vulnerable after the hospital visit and not want to be observed with her child until she has fully recovered (2 marks) The mother would also not want her name or her child’s name published with the results to protect her anonymity and privacy (3 marks). It could be the case that people she knew found out about the study and judged her and her son’s behaviour negatively, leading to further anxiety and lower self-esteem for the mother (4 marks)
During the initial instructions and signing a consent form, the psychologist must make the mother aware that she is fully entitled to withdraw from the study at anytime (1 mark). If she does express the desire to cease because she does not feel significantly recovered after the hospital stay, she must not be pressured to continue. Additionally, and she should still receive any payment owing to her for the study (2 marks)

9. BWBs Zimbardo and ethical issues
Deception
Right to Withdraw
Informed consent
Protection from harm
Privacy
Odd numbers- how he met this
Even numbers- how he did not

10. Dispositional or Situational?
Discuss
Why do we obey?
Dispositional or Situational?

11. Obedience- The Spec
Explanations for obedience: agentic state and legitimacy of authority
Situational variables affecting obedience including proximity, location and uniform, as investigated by Milgram.
Dispositional explanation for obedience: the Authoritarian Personality

12. Bwbs Milgram Make as many detailed notes as possible on the Aim
Method – Task, Procedure, apparatus
Results, % that obeyed?
Conclusions- Why did they obey and What effects obedience?
Ethics- D R I P P

13. Exam practice
Complete the following question individually and without notes. You have 5 minutes. Describe two ethical issues that can be illustrated by Milgram’s research into obedience to authority. (4 marks) Now give yourself a mark out of 4 according to the mark scheme on the next slide

14. Mark scheme
AO3 = 4
For each issue, 1 mark for identification of issue and a further mark for elaboration. For example, one issue is deception (1 mark); Milgram deceived participants into believing that they had an equal chance of being the teacher or learner, when in fact it was rigged (further mark for elaboration).
Right to withdraw is only an ethical issue in terms of it being made difficult to withdraw. Milgram did in fact give his participants the right to withdraw at the very start of the experiment; however he then made it very difficult for them to do so. Simply stating ‘there was no right to withdraw’ will not gain credit.

15. Milgram’s Results
65% (two-thirds) of participants (i.e., teachers) continued to the highest level of 450 volts.
All the participants continued to 300 volts.
Why do you think they obeyed?
Consider…
The Explanations of obedience
Situational factors e.g the way the environment was structured- Where , What, Who, When?
The way in which the experiment was conducted (demand characteristics, sample)
Dispositional factors?

16. Explanations of Obedience
The Agentic State
Legitimacy of Authority
Dispositional Explanations-
The Authoritarian personality

17. 1. Agentic State
Milgram explained that people actually have two states of behaviour when they are in a social situation:
• The autonomous state – people act according to their own values, and they take responsibility for the results of those actions.
• The agentic state – people allow others to direct their actions, and the pass off the responsibility for the consequences to the person giving the orders. In other words, they act as agents for another person’s will.

18. Explanation: Agentic State
Milgram suggested we shift from autonomous to agentic in certain situations, when we feel able to pass responsibility for our actions onto an authority figure
Autonomous State
Agentic State
Independent
Behave according to own principles
Feel that we are responsible for our actions
We are agents of another person
Carrying out acts on behalf of another person
We pass responsibility onto others, so do not feel responsible for our actions

19. Agency theory https://www.simplypsychology.org/milgram.html
In this clip- Where is the evidence that obedience occurs due to agency?

20. 2. Legitimacy of Authority
Based on a structured hierarchy
People in certain positions hold more authority than others
If someone possesses legitimate authority they are perceived as having the right over another
This comes from a person’s status which might be conveyed by uniform or their position in a certain structure.

21. Guess what percentage would have gone up to 450 in these variations…
Variations of Milgram
In the original study 65% went up to 450 volts
Guess what percentage would have gone up to 450 in these variations…

22. Variations- 65% was the original
The Study is conducted in an office building rather than Yale
The Teacher and learner were in the same room
The teacher had to force the learners hand onto the shock plate
Experimenter gives orders by telephone
Experimenter leaves and “ordinary person” gives orders
Teacher sees other “teachers” rebel
The Teacher can choose the shock level

23. Results – Milgram’s Variations..
Any surprises?

24. Location
Location can have an effect on obedience rates because some locations increase the perceived legitimacy of the authority figure.
Proximity
This can refer to how close the person is to the consequences of their actions when obeying an authority figure - the more able they are to avoid witnessing the consequences of their obedient behaviour, the more likely they are to obey.
Also, how close the person is to the authority figure when orders are given.
Uniform
A uniform can give the perception of greater authority, and therefore we would expect that obedience rates would be higher if the person giving the order was wearing a uniform

25. Research online to read/find out about these two field experiments on obedience
1s Hofling
2s Bickman
Astroten

26. Mcdonald’s strip search
Real world parallels- SCARY
Which variable does this support or challenge?
Which explanation of obedience does this support/challenge?

27. Application- Obedience Explanations and Situational Variables
On the Wallboards there are listed
Explanations of Obedience
Situational Variables
You will be read a scenario and you must go to the board with the most relevant explanation or situational variable

28. Example 1
Harold agrees to use a different lift when he is confronted by a security guard at the shopping centre who tells him that the lift he wants to use is reserved for special visitors
Legitimate authority/uniform

29. Example 2
Matthew sees his school caretaker when he is out in town. The caretaker asks him to wait with his dog while he goes into the supermarket. Matthew refuses and says he has too much to do. When Matthew is back at school, he sees the caretaker in the playground, who asks him to pick up some rubbish that is laying near the bin. Matthew agrees.
Location/legitimate authority

30. Example 3
Catherine is at university. There are signs in the stairwells and in the corridors asking people to keep left, but Catherine walks on the right to avoid the crowd. A lecturer passes her and asks her to walk on the left, which she does.
Legitimate authority/location

31. Example 4
Vijay is at school. An older child gives him a lunch box which he tells him he has stolen from another child. The older child tells Vijay to hide it for him and he will collect it later. Vijay agrees.
Agentic mode

32. Example 5
Susan and her friend Mary are looking at Susan’s facebook feed. One of Susan’s ‘friends’ has shared a pro-foxhunting post. Although Susan doesn’t feel that strongly about the issue, Mary tells her that she must post a message telling her she is a blood-thirsty murderer. Susan agrees
Proximity

33. Example 6
Cassie works at a supermarket. A disabled man approaches her and tells her that he is desperate to use the toilet and there is not one within half a mile. He asks if he can use the toilet in the store. Cassie tells him that it is against the rules. The man asks if she could make an exception for him, but she says she can’t as those are the rules and she is simply following them.
Agentic mode

34. Example 7
George works in a sweet shop. When he started he was told that he must not give away free sweets to his friends. Sometimes if the sweet shop owner is in the stockroom when his friends come in, George gives them some free sweets from the jar. When the sweet shop owner is in the shop, George never gives away sweets.
Proximity

35. Case study
In the canteen today you are asked by your Psychology teacher to pick up a piece of litter and put it in a bin. During half term you are lucky enough to see the teacher walking down north street. She asks you to pick up some litter and put It in the bin. This time you refuse Use your knowledge to explain why you behaved differently. Provide evaluative points of your explanation

36. Essay answers- These are not top band!
Guess the essay question
“Discuss…..”
2. Annotate with improvements
Consider
Accuracy
PEEL structure
Focus on essay question

37. Essay Titles Discuss Milgram’s Research into obedience
Missing PEEL structure in Ao3 2 and Ao3 3
Ao3 2- Implications of breaking ethics?
Ao3 3- No PEEL- weak P, no link to obedience so no marks
Discuss explanations of Obedience
Ao1- very brief they have not explained why obedience occurs.
Ao1- Accuracy- uniform is not an explanation it is a situational variable
Ao3- Not bad at all- good links to obedience and the essay title but again no credit for uniform

38. Choose a 4 mark question- answer it on your whiteboards
Easy 1. Explain the legitimacy of authority explanation
Medium 2. Outline one criticism of the agentic state explanation of obedience refer to Milgram’s research
Medium 2. Outline one strength of the legitimacy of authority explanation using research
Hard 3. Use an explanation of obedience to explain why a child may follow the orders of their father over the requests from an older sibling

39. Bernard’s story
Bernard was brought up by strict parents who believed strongly in discipline and respect for authority. When Bernard was little, his mother would hit him over the back of the hand with a wooden spoon when he was naughty and as he got older, his father would punish him by hitting him with a belt. When Bernard turned 18 he began to take an interest in politics. He was very concerned about ‘inferior’ races infiltrating the country and eventually joined the British National Party. Bernard does not have any friends from ethnic minorities as he refuses to associate with anybody who is not white. Bernard was recently cautioned by the police for shouting racist abuse at group of black teenagers. However, Bernard is very respectful to his parents and to his boss at work, who he would never challenge even if he does not agree with his policies. Using what you know about the Authoritarian Personality, explain Bernard’s prejudiced behaviour. Make reference to the scenario in your answer (6 marks) Now use the model answer on the next slide to give yourself a mark out of 6

40. Bernard’s story – model answer
According to Adorno, those who are brought up by strict parents who use harsh physical punishments, are likely to develop an authoritarian personality (1 mark). This style of childrearing has been experienced by Bernard, which is demonstrated by his parents hitting him with a spoon, or a belt (1 mark). In this situation, the child feel hostility towards their parents, but they repress this (1 mark) and displace the anger onto a different racial group, or those they perceive as being weak (1 mark). This can be seen in Bernard, as his anger is directed towards ethnic minorities who he regards as being weaker than him (1 mark). The authoritarian personality also develops a strong respect for authority, demonstrated by Bernard’s respect for his parents and boss (1 mark)

41. Evaluation of the Authoritarian Personality
You have 5 minutes silent reading time on the evaluation of the authoritarian personality (p.13 of the information pack) Now complete the exercise on Ali’s answer without looking at the pack

42. Exam practice
Have a go at this question individually without notes Briefly outline and evaluate the authoritarian personality as an explanation of obedience to authority (4 marks) Now swap with someone in another group and give the answer in front of you a mark out of 4 according to the mark scheme on the next slide

43. Mark Scheme
Outline – possible content: • a collection of traits / dispositions developed from strict / rigid parenting, eg conformist / conventional / dogmatic • obedient / servile towards people of perceived higher status. Credit other traits relevant to obedience. Evaluation – possible content: • situational factors, eg proximity (Milgram), may have greater influence on obedience levels • difficult establishing cause / effect between authoritarianism / parenting style and obedience • explanation cannot easily account for obedience of entire social groups / societies • evaluation of F-scale where used to evaluate the explanation. Credit other relevant evaluation points.