Personality Predicts Obedience in a <scp>M</scp>ilgram Paradigm

Bègue, Laurent; Beauvois, Jean‐Léon; Courbet, Didier; Oberlé, Dominique; Lepage, Johan; Duke, Aaron A.

doi:10.1111/jopy.12104

Cited by 95 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Note that, however, in this study, this was also the case for conscientiousness, which suggests that the associations of both big five factors with opposition to euthanasia may reflect social conformity- see Bègue et al, 2015- rather than necessarily empathy, compassion, and valuing no harm. Another argument in favor of a positive link between prosocial dispositions and the disapproval of child euthanasia may be that strong concerns for children’s capacity for discernment, typical among the skeptics (Bovens, 2015; Siegel et al, 2014), and subsequent fears of possible abuses of legalization (Karlsson, Strang, & Milberg, 2007), reflect high perspective taking, an important component of empathy.…”

Section: Other-oriented Emotions and Motivescontrasting

confidence: 50%

Terminating a Child’s Life? Religious, Moral, Cognitive, and Emotional Factors Underlying Non-Acceptance of Child Euthanasia

Deak

Saroglou

2017

Psychologica Belgica

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Is opposition to child euthanasia motivated only by ideology, or also by other personality characteristics and individual differences? In Belgium, the first country to legalize child euthanasia (in 2014), we investigated religious, moral, emotional, and cognitive factors underlying the (dis)approval of this legalization (N = 213). Disapproval was associated with religiousness, collectivistic morality (loyalty and purity), and prosocial dispositions, in terms of emotional empathy and behavioral generosity, but not values (care and fairness). It was also associated with low flexibility in existential issues and a high endorsement of slippery slope arguments, but not necessarily low openness to experience. A regression analysis showed that in addition to religiousness, low flexibility in existential issues and high empathy and generosity distinctly predicted opposition to child euthanasia. Whereas most of the findings parallel those previously reported for adult euthanasia, the role of prosocial inclinations in predicting moral opposition seems to be specific to child euthanasia.

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Section: Other-oriented Emotions and Motivescontrasting

confidence: 50%

Terminating a Child’s Life? Religious, Moral, Cognitive, and Emotional Factors Underlying Non-Acceptance of Child Euthanasia

Deak

Saroglou

2017

Psychologica Belgica

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“…To begin with, previous research on the relationship between the self-concept and its outcomes has provided evidence for sociocul tural assimilation and contrast (Gebauer et al, in press;Gebauer, Leary, et al, 2012;Gebauer, Paulhus, et al, 2013). Moreover, as described earlier, there is much indirect evidence for links between these two sociocultural motives and the Big Five (Begue et al, 2014;Buss, 1991;Costa & McCrae, 1992;Cote & Moskowitz, 1998;DeYoung, 2006;DeYoung et al, 2002;John & Srivastava, 1999;K. B. MacDonald, 1995;Paulhus & John, 1998;Roberts & Pomerantz, 2004;Saucier, 2009;Wood et al, 2007).…”

Section: Previous Evidencementioning

confidence: 84%

Cross-cultural variations in Big Five relationships with religiosity: A sociocultural motives perspective.

Gebauer

Bleidorn

Gosling

et al. 2014

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

107

128

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A sociocultural motives perspective (SMP) on Big Five relationships is introduced. According to the SMP, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness elicit assimilation to sociocultural norms, Openness elicits contrast from these norms, and Extraversion and Neuroticism are independent of sociocultural assimilation and contrast. Due to sociocultural assimilation, then, relationships of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness with an outcome wax (become more positive or less negative) with that outcome's increasing sociocultural normativeness. Due to sociocultural contrast, relationships of Openness with an outcome wane (become less positive or more negative) with that outcome's increasing sociocultural normativeness. We tested the SMP using religiosity as our outcome. Study 1 included 4 cross-sectional self-report data sets across 66 countries (N = 1,129,334), 50 U.S. states (N = 1,057,342), 15 German federal states (N = 20,885), and 121 British urban areas (N = 386,315). Study 2 utilized informant-report data across 37 countries (N = 544,512). Study 3 used longitudinal data across 15 German federal states (N = 14,858). Results consistently supported the SMP. Relationships of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness with religiosity were more positive in religious sociocultural contexts than in secular contexts. Relationships of Openness with religiosity were more negative in religious sociocultural contexts than in secular contexts. At a more general level, the SMP offers theory-driven explanations for cross-cultural variations in Big Five relationships with their outcomes.

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“…Aside from a small‐sample post‐experimental inquiry by Elms and Milgram (), this research was never conducted, and five decades later, exactly why some individuals obey and others break off has long been a major unanswered question. However, Begue et al (in press) have recently observed low but significant correlations between measures of two personality traits (conscientiousness and agreeableness) and harmful obedience in a game‐show replication of Milgram's paradigm. They conclude, interestingly, that traits which are “widely related to positive outcomes…may also have darker sides in that they can lead to destructive and immoral obedience” (p. 15).…”

Section: Unanswered Questions In the Obedience Literaturementioning

confidence: 98%

The Explanatory Value of Milgram's Obedience Experiments: A Contemporary Appraisal

Miller

2014

Journal of Social Issues

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A contemporary appraisal of the explanatory value of the obedience experiments is presented, focusing upon a sample of recent generalizations linked to Milgram's theoretical interpretation. Processes emphasized include justification, the agentic shift, dehumanization, and resistance. These constructs have helped explain diverse phenomena in business ethics and corporate corruption, harmful obedience in legal practice, and whistleblowing, in addition to genocide. The major legacy continues to be the situational thesis that serious harm may be perpetrated upon protesting victims by ordinary, good people under the influence of authority. However, this thesis is still limiting and problematic in the view of many scholars, particularly with respect to the Holocaust. Unanswered questions are discussed. Individual differences in obedience (or disobedience) were noteworthy in Milgram's research, and convincing explanations for these differences remain unaddressed. An empirically validated theory, accounting for Milgram's entire set of observations, is needed, which would facilitate generalizations to relevant contexts.

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Personality Predicts Obedience in a Milgram Paradigm

Cited by 95 publications

References 57 publications

Terminating a Child’s Life? Religious, Moral, Cognitive, and Emotional Factors Underlying Non-Acceptance of Child Euthanasia

Terminating a Child’s Life? Religious, Moral, Cognitive, and Emotional Factors Underlying Non-Acceptance of Child Euthanasia

Cross-cultural variations in Big Five relationships with religiosity: A sociocultural motives perspective.

The Explanatory Value of Milgram's Obedience Experiments: A Contemporary Appraisal

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