Obedience
Core Study
Bickman 1974
Core Study
BATs
• Explain and outline Bickman’s research
into obedience and the power of uniform
• Plan and collect data on a replication of
Bickman’s research
• Evaluate Bickman’s research
Homework
Answer questions 1-8
Activity 4.8 p57
What makes someone obey?
• Setting
• Number of people around (consensus)
• Culture
• Does the appearance of a person in
authority make a difference?
Can you identify these uniforms?
Who are you most likely to obey?
Bickman 1974
Aim – Does appearance affect how people
obey others?
Why did each
person have to
Procedure –
dress up in each
costume?
• Field experiment
• 3 male experimenters – each took it in turn
to dress as a civilian (jacket and tie),
milkman, guard uniform (looked like a
police officer)
• Gave orders to 153 random pedestrians
on a street in Brooklyn, New York
What were the orders?
• Picking up litter – ‘Pick up this bag for
me.’
• Coin and parking meter – ‘This man is
overparked at the meter but doesn’t have
any change – give him a dime.’
• Bus Stop – ‘Don’t you know you have to
stand on the other side of the pole? This
sign says “No Standing”.’
Findings of Bickman’s study
89%
57%
Obedience
Rate (%)
33%
Type of Uniform
Conclusion
• Demonstrated the power of certain types
of uniform.
• Dress can suggest authority.
• When people think someone will punish
them, they are more likely to obey.
Do as
you are
told – or
else!!
Limitations of Bickman’s Study
There was a lack of control over variables…
…factors such as crowding, weather and noise could have
affected obedience rates.
The study was unethical…
… because participants had not given consent and
may have been caused distress, embarassment and
discomfort.
The confederates (wearing the uniform)
were all men…
… so there may have been a gender bias in results – would
people react the same to women in uniforms?
Limitations of Bickman’s Study
• Pedestrians were selected by
opportunity sampling –
• The personality or circumstances of the
participants were not known. They might have
been in a hurry, depressed or just absentminded
• The study was only carried out in one
city in one country –
• There is evidence that Culture affects obedience
levels. So we can’t be sure if passers by from
other cities or countries would be as obedient.
Culturally Biased research
Work in 3’s
One of you will
secretly record
results
Over to you …
You will need
to make a tally
chart
• We are going to try to recreate Bickman’s
Field Experiment at the end of period 5!!
• How could we do this?
• Do you think students would be more likely
to pick up litter if you were …
• Dressed in normal school uniform?
• Dressed in a Prefect’s black jumper and
badge?
What were your findings?
• You can either use you own results or pool
everyone’s results.
• Find the percentage obedience rate of
each condition
• number of those who obeyed x 100
total number of people tested
• Draw a bar chart of your data
Can you
What limitations
did you
experience?
come to the
same
conclusion as
Bickman?
Get ready for next week …
• Write a letter to a member of the School
Leadership Team to invite them to be
interviewed period 6 (from 3pm) next
week.
• Mr Cook, Mr Allister, Mrs Thomas, Miss
Manteghi, Mr Evans, We
MrswillWilson,
be askingMr
them
questions about
Brunnock, Mrs Skuse,some
Mr Tetlow
the factors that affect
• Heads of School – MR,
CHy, and
SRn
obedience
their role
in maintaining discipline
within school.
Extension
• In 3s create one street scene each from
Bickman’s study
• Make a comic strip with cartoon and
speech bubbles
• Some pictures are available for you to use.
Plenary
• Share your cartoon – who did the best
one? Why?
Homework
Answer questions 1-8
Activity 4.8 p57
Look at p59 Doing
Research – think what
questions you could ask
SLT