What Is Obedience? Psychology, Definition, Theories, And Experiments

Authority and subsequent concepts of obedience and disobedience are typically considered fundamental elements in every social context. Humans generally exist in a hierarchical authority structure. Rules may be established for the greater good of a family, organization, or society. Still, the psychology of obedience can be nuanced and has been extensively studied, particularly the concept of destructive obedience, which can refer to following orders that may harm your own or others’ well-being. If you’ve noticed that you may be prone to destructive obedience, speaking with a licensed therapist may enable you to get to the root of this tendency and address it accordingly.

What is obedience versus conformity?

Obedience can be defined as a social response to orders from an authority figure. The necessity of hierarchy for obedience may be important when distinguishing it from another concept: conformity. 

Both conformity and obedience usually require amenability, or a behavioral change based on social influence. However, obedience normally entails changing one's behavior due to an order from an authority figure, while conformity typically refers to changing one's behavior, thoughts, or attitudes to align with the opinions and actions of other people or social norms. 

How do the social sciences view obedience?

Obedience has historically been an important topic of scientific investigation in social psychology and sociology. One of the first studies to empirically investigate obedience occurred in 1936. The researchers generally sought to identify the psychological structures that determined how dependent humans were on the rules of society.

Researchers mainly focused on obedience within family structures because the family is usually the first to introduce the concept of authority. They then extrapolated their findings to a larger social context, determining that obedience to authority has likely been a crucial part of success for most human groups throughout history. 

Obedience in ancient history

Before the scientific investigation of obedience, the concept was debated by philosophers throughout history. In antiquity, debates about obedience to authority appeared in the works of notable philosophers, including Plato's Crito and Apology. In those works, Plato describes the tale of his mentor, Socrates, who was unjustly convicted of corrupting youth and sentenced to death.

In Crito, Plato recalls a conversation between the student Crito and Socrates, in which he attempts to convince his teacher to escape prison and avoid execution. Crito pleads with Socrates, listing the people whom his death will harm. He also criticizes Socrates's trial, implying that the court did not follow proper procedures. Socrates dismisses Crito's concerns as unprincipled. He believes they are only self-interested reasons. He argues that those who exist within a democratic system are duty-bound to obey the laws of that democracy, even under the threat of death. According to Socrates, the rules of society have rendered a decision, and he must abide by it.

Destructive obedience

Stanley Milgram and destructive obedience

Following World War II, the social sciences generally saw an increased interest in destructive obedience. In 1963, an American psychologist from New York named Stanley Milgram conducted an experiment to search for conditions likely to lead to destructive obedience. The study established three roles: the teacher, the learner, and the experimenter.

Study participants were assigned as teachers, and the experimenter and learner were both confederates of the study, meaning they were placed to play specific roles. However, study participants believed that the experimenter and learner were both legitimate participants as well.

In Milgram's study, the experimenter (a confederate) orders the teacher (the study participant) to apply an electric shock to the learner (another confederate) when the learner gives an incorrect response to a question. The teacher is led to believe that the intensity of the shock will increase with each wrong answer the learner provides.

In the study, the learner wasn't actually receiving an electric shock. The learner was separated from the teacher and experimenter by a wall; only the sound of their voice could be heard. When the teacher applied a shock, the learner played a pre-recorded sound. Sounds were recorded for each shock intensity level, beginning with mild sounds of discomfort, and eventually progressing to screams and pleas to end the experiment.

The purpose of Milgram's study was to observe how the participant (the teacher) reacted to the commands of the experimenter, who was positioned as an authority figure. Milgram and his team theorized that most people would apply lower-level shocks at the experimenter’s behest, but few would apply the maximum electric shock, despite the experimenter’s pressure.

Milgram's study produced results that deeply contradicted the study organizers’ expectations. Nearly 65% of participants applied the maximum electric shock when instructed. This study has long been cited as an example of authority's ability to influence a person's internal sense of right and wrong. Many participants in the study exhibited extreme distress at the thought of harming another person, yet still complied with the experimenter’s directives.

Obedience and the better-than-average effect

Milgram's study demonstrated that most people can be susceptible to authority. Contemporary research into obedience usually reinforces this finding and additionally identifies another layer of the psychological aspect of obedience through the better-than-average (BTA) effect.

The BTA effect states that most people believe they are better than the average person regarding certain abilities or traits. For example, in Milgram's study, the BTA effect indicates that most participants would likely consider themselves unwilling to comply with the authority figure’s instructions to administer harm.

Milgram's obedience experiments are not repeated today due to ethical concerns, as many participants were significantly distraught at the perceived torture. However, one 2012 study attempted to replicate the experiment by examining whether a person would disobey and become a whistleblower when encountering unethical behavior. 

The study involved two groups of participants. The first group of participants received a description of the study and were asked how likely it was that they would follow the unethical instructions of the experimenter.

The second group of participants went through the pseudo-experiment and had three choices: follow the unethical instructions of the experimenter, disobey, or disobey and report the actions of the unscrupulous research team. 

The researchers compared the results of both groups. The first group established a baseline of perceived response to an unethical experiment, and the second group established what people would actually do.

In the first group, 96.4% of participants reported they would disobey or become whistleblowers. However, the second group demonstrated different behavior, as 76.5% of participants obeyed the experimenter, and only 9.4% became whistleblowers.

The BTA effect can illustrate an important concept in obedience. Most people have difficulty accurately assessing their obedience tendencies. As research into obedience continues, more light may be shed on the unique differences between individuals' tendencies to obey.

Are you prone to destructive obedience?

An online therapist can help

Obedience and therapy

Therapy may enable you to explore your relationship with authority and obedience, among other topics. 

Benefits of online therapy

Online therapy is often viewed as an increasingly popular way to avail psychotherapeutic services. You can avail of therapy from your home, and you can match with therapists outside of your geographic area. Those facing therapist shortages may be able to turn to online therapy as a viable alternative.

Effectiveness of online therapy

Online therapists normally use the same evidence-based techniques as traditional therapists, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, which can effectively improve many mental health concerns. A therapist can help you understand your relationship to obedience and authority and encourage you to make changes to better your life. When therapy is administered online, evidence indicates it can be just as effective as in-person therapy.

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