Factors Affecting Obedience

Milgram's variations and other research have identified several factors that increase or decrease obedience to authority. Understanding these factors helps explain why people sometimes obey harmful orders and how resistance to authority can be encouraged.

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Situational Factors

1. Proximity of the Authority Figure

Obedience increases when the authority figure is physically close and decreases when they are absent:

• In Milgram's original study (experimenter in the room): 65% obeyed
• When the experimenter gave instructions by telephone: only 20.5% obeyed
• Some participants even cheated by giving lower shocks than instructed when the experimenter was not watching

2. Proximity of the Victim

Obedience decreases when the person being harmed is closer to the person obeying:

• When the learner was in a separate room (voice only): 65% obeyed
• When the learner was in the same room: 40% obeyed
• When the teacher had to physically force the learner's hand onto the shock plate: 30% obeyed

The closer the victim, the harder it is to maintain the agentic state — seeing the person's suffering makes the individual feel more personally responsible.

3. Location and Legitimacy