Milgram carried out a number of variations of his original obedience study in order to see how changes to; location, the way the authority figure is dressed, participant personality and proximity can affect the degree of obedience to an ‘authority figure.’
Explanations of obedience
It is easy to deny personal responsibility when orders come from a figure of authority because it can be assumed that they will take ultimate responsibility. In these instances, we become ‘agents’ of an external authority. According to Milgram, obedience occurs as a result of a conflict between 2 opposing sets of demands:
Explanations of Obedience Teaching Resources
Explanations of Obedience (variations of Milgram’s study) Teaching Resources: To access the study notes on Explanations of Obedience, click here.
