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Complying with the demands of an authority figure.

Hedy Brown - conformity has to do with psychological need for acceptance by others and entails going along with one's peers in a group situation, but obedience has to do with the social power and status of an authority figure in a hierarchical situation.

Milgrams studies (1963;1974) demonstrated that people would obey an experimenter's orders to deliver electric shocks to an innocent victim.

Basic experiment

65% continued to obey throughout.

He concluded that a substantial proportion of people do as they are told, irrespective of the content of the act and without limitations of conscience, so long as they perceive that the command comes from a legitimate authority.

Criticisms of Milgram

Ethics! - unacceptable to place innocent subjects in this position.

Milgram claims stress was not anticipated - expected subjects to disobey sooner; in any case the subject 'free' to leave at any time; subsequent questionnaires to subjects showed that they were glad to participate in experiment ( Rosnow - 78 - experiments can help individual to review value systems)

Can lab experiments be generalised to outside world? Hofling et al (1966) would nurses comply with instructions to involve them in infringing hospital regulations and medical ethics since 1966 nurses may have become less obedient and deferential.

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