Group Size, Gender, and Obedience

1
Group Size, Gender, and Obedience

• Michela Jones, Karla Roberts, and Russalyn Spicer
• Hanover College
• Fall 2005

2
Introduction

• Milgram (1964) example
• Obedience every day
• Traffic signs

3
Previous Research

• Asch (1955)
• Increases up to 3-4
• Levels off
• Gerard (1968)
• Linear increase

4
Research Question and Hypothesis

• Research Question
• Does the size of a group affect obedience to
  authority?
• Hypothesis
• Groups of 3-4 students will be more likely to
  obey authority than any smaller sized group.
• After 3-4 members are in a group, we expect the
  level of obedience to stay the same.

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Hypothesis Rationale

• Why obedience increases
• Conformity in a group
• Railroad track analogy
• Not unreasonable
• Why obedience levels off
• Concealment in larger group

6
Participants

• Small, Midwestern liberal arts college
• 55 college students
• Approximately aged 18-22
• 73 female

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• Please remove your shoes before entering the
  lobby. You may put them back on upon exiting the
  lobby.

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Procedure

• Signs in the lobby
• Location of observers
• Recorded
• Group size
• Gender
• Casual or formal dress
• Obedience

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Figure 1. Rate of obedience by group size.
p .987
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Limitations and Further Research

• Location
• Carpet
• Traffic flow
• Number of participants
• Greater number
• Group size
• Greater variety
• More control

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Implications

• Implications
• No significance to be found
• Signs are information
• Used by authorities