Obedience

Obedience

When a person complies with the orders of an authority figure.

Milgram's Obedience Experiment

A study conducted by Stanley Milgram in 1963 to investigate the extent to which people obey orders from an authority figure.

Agentic State

A psychological state where an individual sees themselves as an agent of an authority figure, passing responsibility for their actions onto that figure.

Autonomous State

A state where individuals are in control of their actions and take responsibility for them.

Legitimacy of Authority

The accepted right of an authority figure to issue commands, which can increase obedience among individuals.

F-Scale

A personality test created by Adorno et al in 1950 to measure authoritarian personalities.

Proximity

The physical closeness of the learner and the authority figure, affecting the level of obedience.

Uniform

The clothing worn by an authority figure which can influence levels of obedience in subordinates.

Results of Milgram's Study

65% of participants administered shocks up to the maximum of 450V, showing high levels of obedience.

Criticisms of Milgram's Study

Concerns regarding the ethics of the study, including the extreme stress placed on participants.

Bickman's Study (1974)

Reinforces the influence of uniform on obedience; 38% obeyed a security guard, 19% obeyed a person in ordinary clothing.

Methodological Criticism

Arguments against the validity of Milgram's study due to doubts about whether participants believed the shocks were real.

Obedience and Moral Compass

In situations of obedience, individuals may act against their moral beliefs when an authority figure is involved.