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Psychology QUESTION #9737
Question 1
Stanley Milgram's obedience experiments revealed that ordinary individuals are capable of inflicting harm on others when instructed by an authority figure. Which factor was found to DECREASE obedience in his studies?
  • The experimenter wearing a white lab coat
  • The learner being in a different room
  • The authority figure leaving the room✔️
  • The experiment being conducted at Yale University
Correct Answer Explanation
Milgram found that obedience decreased significantly when the authority figure (experimenter) was not physically present and gave instructions by telephone. Other factors that decreased obedience included: the learner being in the same room (increasing emotional closeness), the presence of two defiant peers, and moving the study from Yale to a less prestigious location. Physical proximity to authority strongly predicted compliance.