On small world statistics

Thesmall-world problem revolves around the tracing of a line of acquaintances linking any two persons chosen at random. This paper discusses the statistical analysis of data arising out of two experimental studies of the small-world problem. The estimation of parameters in two previously proposed models is discussed, and the goodness-of-fit of these models is considered.     

Identifying Systematic Disobedience in Milgram's Obedience Experiments: A Meta-Analytic Review

ABSTRACT— A meta-analysis of data from eight of Milgram's obedience experiments reveals previously undocumented systematicity in the behavior of disobedient participants. In all studies, disobedience was most likely at 150 v, the point at which the shocked "learner" first requested to be released. Further illustrating the importance of the 150-v point, obedience rates across studies covaried with rates of disobedience at 150 v, but not at any other point; as obedience decreased, disobedience at 150 v increased. In contrast, disobedience was not associated with the learner's escalating expressions of pain. This analysis identifies a critical decision point in the obedience paradigm and suggests that disobedient participants perceived the learner's right to terminate the experiment as overriding the experimenter's orders, a finding with potential implications for the treatment of prisoners.     

A modification of the method of successive intervals

A modification of the method of successive intervals is presented which yields scale values correlating .995 with those from Thurstone's method described by Saffir. Values yielded by the present method can be obtained in 25 per cent of the time required by the older method and are shown to be, on apriori grounds, more reliable as well.     

Impressions of Milgram's obedient teachers: situational cues inform inferences about motives and traits

The research investigated impressions formed of a "teacher" who obeyed an experimenter by delivering painful electric shocks to an innocent person (S. Milgram, 1963, 1974). Three findings emerged across different methodologies and different levels of experimenter-induced coercion. First, contrary to conventional wisdom, perceivers both recognized and appreciated situational forces, such as the experimenter's orders that prompted the aggression. Second, perceivers' explanations of the teacher's behavior focused on the motive of obedience (i.e., wanting to appease the experimenter) rather than on hurtful (or evil) motivation. Despite this overall pattern, perceptions of hurtful versus helpful motivation varied as a function of information regarding the level of coercion applied by the experimenter. Finally, theoretically important relationships were revealed among perceptions of situations, motives, and traits. In particular, situational cues (such as aspects of the experimenter's behavior) signaled the nature of the teacher's motives, which in turn informed inferences of the teacher's traits. Overall, the findings pose problems for the lay dispositionism perspective but fit well with multiple inference models of dispositional inference.     

The prescriptive power of the television host. A transposition of Milgram's obedience paradigm to the context of TV game show

IntroductionToday's fascination with television makes us wonder whether it might not represent an authority capable of leading people in a television studio to inflict cruel acts on others, even though they condemn those acts.ObjectiveThe experiment reported here allows us to answer this question in the affirmative. Therefore, we transposed Milgram's famous experimental obedience paradigm to the context of a “real” TV game show, in the studio of a large television production company, with a live audience and no prizes.MethodWe set up several experimental conditions designed to tell us if, in such contexts, obedience was the dominant response, as it is in the often-replicated classic situation. We also wished to know if the introduction of variations would reduce obedience.ResultsThe results show that obedience to the host is the dominant response, as it is in Milgram's classic situation. However, variations that are assumed to reduce this obedience do not in fact demonstrate the expected effects. An additional experimental condition appears to demonstrate that a determining factor of obedience is the physical proximity of the host incarnating the televisual power.ConclusionWe offer a conclusion addressing the societal aspects of obedience.     

An address-mode modification method for self-report questionnaires

A technique comparing first-person singular and first-person plural address modes (based on the Tennessee Self-concept Scale and modifications) was applied. Self-report and sociometric-like techniques were blended into a single method, providing a compound profile of the individual's interaction with his small, cohesive reference group. One hundred and sixteen males aged 18–22 yr participated in this study. The results vary significantly in accordance with the characteristics of the subgroup, and follow trends that may be seen as confirming the rules governing the interpretation of the profile. A set of rules is evolved (in the Discussion) by which the profile can be interpreted. The results distinguish significantly between people with marked leadership and instructional skills, and provide significant correlations with sociometric data concerning leadership propensities. The present technique suggests possible further elaborations for clinical diagnostic purposes and for assessment in personal and social psychological settings.     

Thurstone's analytical method for simple structure and a mass modification thereof

The analytical method for simple structure proposed by Thurstone is applied to four separate cases and found to yield satisfactory results. The simple structure obtained by Thurstone's method is found to match closely that obtained by other methods and corresponds to the true structure of the matrix in those cases where true structure is known. Difficulties about the choice of the correct trial vector led the writer to develop a modification of Thurstone's method, useful where high speed computational facilities are available. Instructions are given for this so-called mass modification, and the procedure is illustrated with a 5-factor, 14-variable example. While the results do not fully correspond to a previous graphical solution, it can be argued that the results obtained by the new method show an improved simple structure. The modified method is applied to three other correlation matrices, yielding in each case a satisfactory simple structure.Contribution No. 961 from the Department of Entomology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.Most of the work on which this paper is based was performed during the summer of 1956 when the author was the holder of an Elizabeth Watkins Faculty Scholarship granted by the Kansas University Endowment Association. The work was carried out at the University of Illinois, where the author was privileged to spend the tenure of this scholarship. The writer is indebted to Professor L. H. Lanier, the Chairman of the Psychology Department, who graciously placed space and equipment at his disposal, and to Professor Raymond B. Cattell for his continuing encouragement of and interest in the author's work. Some of the computations were performed on the ILLIAC digital computer. The many courtesies extended by Professor J. J. Nash, Director of the Digital Computer Laboratory of the University of Illinois, are gratefully acknowledged. The writer is indebted to Mr. John R. Hurley for much assistance during the development of the computational routines and for a critical reading of this paper. Expenses in connection with the work were met by a General Research Grant of the University of Kansas.