Social
Supporting and conflicting evidence
Theory Supporting evidence Conflicting evidence
Agency Theory - Milgram’s ordinary - Rank and Johnson -
man variation - when 16/18 nurses would
ordinary man without not obey an order
authority gave from a doctor to
instructions to ppts overdose a patient
instead of legit on Valium
authority figure, ppts
significantly less
likely to give 450v
shocks, only 20%
opposed to original
65%
Social Impact Theory - Milgram’s telephonic - Hofling 1966 - when
instructions variation an unknown doctor
- instructions were phoned 22 nurses
given via telephone and told them to
to ppts and only administer a drug,
22.5% obeyed 96% did so, so
compared to 65% immediacy doesn’t
original matter, only source
- Sedikes and Jackson strength
- source strength
from either normal
man vs legitimate
authority figure
(zookeeper) asking
not to lean on
railings, compliance
fell as source
became less
immediate, as group
size increased,
obedience
decreased as
divisions of impact
Realistic Conflict Theory - Sherif Robber’s - Thermal and
Cave experiment Spencer British Boy
1954/1961 - limited Scout replication of
resources (prizes) Sheri = boys did not
caused friction and turn against each
superordinate goals other BUT they knew
reduced it each other already
so may have
stopped them
showing out=group
hostility
Supporting and conflicting evidence
Theory Supporting evidence Conflicting evidence
Agency Theory - Milgram’s ordinary - Rank and Johnson -
man variation - when 16/18 nurses would
ordinary man without not obey an order
authority gave from a doctor to
instructions to ppts overdose a patient
instead of legit on Valium
authority figure, ppts
significantly less
likely to give 450v
shocks, only 20%
opposed to original
65%
Social Impact Theory - Milgram’s telephonic - Hofling 1966 - when
instructions variation an unknown doctor
- instructions were phoned 22 nurses
given via telephone and told them to
to ppts and only administer a drug,
22.5% obeyed 96% did so, so
compared to 65% immediacy doesn’t
original matter, only source
- Sedikes and Jackson strength
- source strength
from either normal
man vs legitimate
authority figure
(zookeeper) asking
not to lean on
railings, compliance
fell as source
became less
immediate, as group
size increased,
obedience
decreased as
divisions of impact
Realistic Conflict Theory - Sherif Robber’s - Thermal and
Cave experiment Spencer British Boy
1954/1961 - limited Scout replication of
resources (prizes) Sheri = boys did not
caused friction and turn against each
superordinate goals other BUT they knew
reduced it each other already
so may have
stopped them
showing out=group
hostility
