Bocchiaro et al. (2012) To defy or not to defy: An experimental study of the dynamics of disobedience and whistleblowing
Area
Social
Sample
149 undergraduate students (originally 160 but 11 removed because they became suspicious of the studies nature)
53 men, 96 women
Mean age 20.8
PPs got €7 or course credit for taking part
Research Method
IV
The study had no independent variable
Laboratory experiment as it took place in a lab at VU University in Amsterdam
Conditions were highly controlled and standardised over the 149 PPs
To some it may not be considered an experiment as it does not meet all necessary criteria
Procedure
PPs were informed of their task, potential risks/benefits, their right to withdraw at anytime with no penalty and assured of confidentiality. PPs were greeted at the lab by a stern, male, Dutch experiment who were formally dressed. The experimenter proceeded with a seemingly unjustified request for each PP to provide a few names of fellow students and then presented the cover story. The experimenter left the room for 3 minutes to allow PPs to reflect on the decisions they were about to make. PPs were then moved to a second room where there was a computer for them to write the statement, a mailbox and the Research Committee forms. PPs were told to be enthusiastic when their statements and had to use 2 strong adjectives among ‘exciting’, ‘incredible’, ‘great’ and ‘superb’, the negatives were not to be mentioned. The experimenters told PPs to begin and left the room for 7 minutes. If a PPs believed the proposed research on sensory deprivation violated ethical norms they could anonymously challenge it by putting a form in the mailbox. After the 7 minutes the experimenter returned and invited the PPs to follow him back to the first room where two personality tests were administered, PPs were probed for suspicion, fully debriefed and asked to sign a second consent form, this time fully informed. In all the session lasted roughly 40 minutes.
Roughly the cover story:
The experimenter and an Italian colleague were investigated the effects of sensory deprivation on brain function. A recently conducted experiment on 6 PPs in Rome who spent some time completely isolated, unable to see or hear, had disastrous effects- all panicked, cognitive abilities were temporarily impaired, some experienced visual and auditory hallucinations. 2 PPs asked to stop because their symptoms were so strong but were not allowed to because it could produce invalid results. The majority had said it had been a frightening experience. The experimenter went on to say he wanted to replicate the study at VU University using a sample of college students as there was currently no data for young people and some scientists felt their brains may be more sensitive to the negative effects of isolation. Although it was hard to predict the results, the experimenter wanted to proceed with the experiment. A University Research Committee was evaluating whether to approve the study and were collecting feedback from students who knew details of the experiment to help make the decision. PPs were told that Research Committee forms were in the next room. PPs were also to write a statement to convince the students they had put forward earlier that would be sent to identify students by mail.
Findings
76.5% obeyed to the experiment, 14.1% disobeyed and 9.4% blow the whistle
Among the whistleblowers 6% had written the message and 3.4% had refused to do so openly
No significant difference were found in any groups in relation to gender, religious affiliation or religious involvement, but a significant difference was observed in regards of faith
Conclusions
People tend to obey authority figures even if they are unjust, what people think they and other will do in a given situation often differs from reality, individuals behave in completely different ways than expected when they find themselves in certain circumstances that are unfamiliar and extreme, behaving in a moral manner is challenging for people even when the reaction appears to observer as the simplest path to follow, and with regard to faith there appears to be a trend suggesting that whistleblowers have more faith than those that obey or disobey.
Data
Both quantitative and qualitative data collected
Allows for ease of comparison between personality types
Quantitative data will prove more helpful if replicated in other countries as suggested by Bocchiaro
Reasons for obedience given by some PPs in debrief
Ethics
Confidentiality respected, consent was given twice, could withdraw from the study and they were debriefed at the end
High levels of deception used and first round of consent was not given fully informed
Reliability
Highly standardised with all PPs getting the same cover story and the same timings followed
Validity
Bocchiaro et al. worked hard to make the stuudy as ecologically valid as possible
Names given by PPs may not have been peope the PPs cared about or people they did not actually know
Its possible that obedience was not actually being measured but instead PPs actually wanted the sensory deprivation study to go ahead













