2.1.6 - Obedience and Conformity

Obedience

Complying with the commands of someone with authority or the rules or laws of society.

Conformity

The tendency to adjust one's thoughts, feelings, or behavior to align with those of others or accepted standards.

Social proximity

The likelihood to obey commands increases with closer physical or relationship proximity to the authority figure.

Group pressure

The tendency to obey increases when observing multiple others also obeying the same command.

Stanford prison experiment

An experiment that highlighted the extreme influence of situational factors and authority on behavior.

Milgram’s experiment

A series of experiments by psychologist Stanley Milgram investigating factors that influence obedience to authority figures.

Ethical considerations

Factors assessed in research concerning the treatment and welfare of participants, including deception and harm.

Social norms

Society’s unofficial rules and expectations regarding how individuals should act.

Groupthink

A psychological phenomenon where assumed group unanimity overrules individual judgments, leading to greater conformity.

Deindividuation

The tendency for individuals to lose their sense of identity in a group, increasing the likelihood of conformity.

Factors affecting obedience

Variables that influence the likelihood of an individual complying with authority, such as authority figure's status and social proximity.

Factors affecting conformity

Variables that influence the likelihood of an individual adjusting their behavior to align with group norms, such as group size and cultural background.