Bocchiaro 2012


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  • Created by: Beth98888
  • Created on: 03-01-21 16:59
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  • Bocchiaro et al 2012
    • Background
      • A whistle blower is someone who exposes unethical activities of others.
      • Milgram found that people have strong inclinations to obey legitimate authority, irrespective of their beliefs, feelings or intentions.
      • disobeys, it is assumed that there would be a lower level of whistle-blowing than disobedience because it involves a potential direct confrontation of the person and the authority
    • AIM
      • To investigate responses to people in authority, giving them the opportunity to whistleblow as well as obey.
        • To understand individual and situational factors which influence responses to authority figures.
    • Method/Sample
      • Laboratory or 'scenario study'
        • Took place at VU University in Amsterdam
          • 149 undergraduate students
            • 96 women    53 men           mean age = 20.8
              • in exchange for either €7 or course credit. NB. A total of 11 participants were removed from the initial sample of 160 because of their suspiciousness about the nature of the study.
                • A comparison group of 138 students were used who predicted obedience, disobedience and whistle blowing, but did not participate in the actual study.
    • Procedure
      • 8 pilot tests, involving 92 undergraduates from the VU University in Amsterdam, were conducted to ensure the procedure was credible and morally acceptable. These tests also served to standardise the experimenter-authority behaviour
      • 1. Male experimenter asks the P's to give a few names of other students
        • 2. They were told the cover story and asked to write a testimonal to convince the students they had named to take part in the study.
          • 3.They were told not to mention the negative effects and to be enthusiastic, using ' exciting and incredible'.
            • 4. P's told that the Research Committee was still considering whether to permit the study and that forms were in the next room if the P wants to anonymosuly give feedback providing the opportunity to whistleblow.
              • 5. Left in another room for 7 mins to type their testimonial, and / or complete/ post a form on the ethics.
                • 6. Debriefed about deception in the study on sensory deprivation was a cover story.
    • Equipment/ measures
      • The HEXACO - PI - R personality test, measures 6 dimensions of personality.
        • The De composed games measure of social values - the extent to which personal values are orientated towards all or self.
          • Self - report on religious beliefs and attitudes.
    • Findings
      • 76.5% obeyed   14.1 % disobeyed       6% anonymously whistleblowed 3.4% refused to write a testimonial and filled in a Research Committee form.
        • Only 3.6% indicated they would obey
        • Only 18.8% thought an average student at VU University would obey.
    • Conclusions
      • People tend to obey authority figures even if the request is unethical.
        • People act far differently than how they claim they or others would behave.
        • Whistle blowers had significantly greater faith than P's who were obedient.
      • Responses to people in authority are not related to the personality dimensions measured  by HEXACO, or to religion, gender, or social values. Suggesting that they are influenced in the situation.
      • No significant difference between those who obeyed. whistle-blower and disobeyed on any of the variables tested by Hexaco,Decomposed games, such as gender and religion.
  • People tend to obey authority figures even if the request is unethical.
    • People act far differently than how they claim they or others would behave.
    • Whistle blowers had significantly greater faith than P's who were obedient.

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