Why we obey others

Why People Obey

The Agentic State

‘Agency theory says that people will obey an authority when they believe that the authority will take responsibility for the consequences of their actions. This is supported by some aspects of Milgram’s evidence.

For example, when participants were reminded that they had responsibility for their own actions, almost none of them were prepared to obey. In contrast, many participants who were refusing to go on did so if the experimenter said that he would take responsibility’.

Authority Figure Wearing a Uniform

Milgram’s experimenter (Mr. Williams) wore a laboratory coat (a symbol of scientific expertise) which gave him a high status.

Buffers

Where consequences don’t have to be seen, people are more likely to obey orders which cause harmful consequences.

The participant (teacher) in Milgram's could only hear the person (student / learner) being shocked as they were in another room, which acted as a buffer. Therefore they were protected from seeing the consequences of their actions.

Gradual commitment

Foot in the door effect: small and gradual increases in what is requested mean that a person doesn’t feel as if a lot is being requested of them. For example, in Milgram's experiment the participant only had to increase the shocks by 15 volts each time which is a small amount.