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When authorities' commands backfire: attributions about consensus and effects on deviant decision making.

Lucian Gideon Conway1, Mark Schaller

  • 1Department of Psychology, Indiana State University, IN, USA. luke.conway@umontana.edu

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|October 27, 2005
PubMed
Summary
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Authority commands can paradoxically lead to nonconformity, not conformity. This study explores how authority figures influence decision-making, causing individuals to deviate from perceived consensus under specific conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Social Psychology
  • Behavioral Science
  • Decision-Making Studies

Background:

  • Consensus perception typically drives conformity in group settings.
  • However, unique situational factors can elicit deviant behavior instead of compliance.
  • Authority figures play a complex role in social influence and decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether an authority figure's command, paradoxically, can induce deviance from consensus.
  • To explore the moderating factors influencing this authority-induced deviance.
  • To understand the psychological mechanisms underlying conformity and deviance in response to authority.

Main Methods:

  • Participants evaluated scenarios requiring a choice between two options.
  • A manipulated consensus (all others choosing one option) was presented.

Related Experiment Videos

  • In experimental conditions, this consensus followed an explicit command from an authority figure.

    • Main Results:

    • The authority's command significantly led participants to make deviant decisions, opposing the observed consensus.
    • This effect was moderated by factors including the authority's continued presence and expertise.
    • Perceiver's cognitive resource availability and the specific targets of the command also influenced the degree of deviance.

    Conclusions:

    • Authority commands can unexpectedly foster deviance rather than conformity.
    • The impact of authority on social decision-making is nuanced and context-dependent.
    • Understanding these moderating factors is crucial for predicting responses to authority and social influence.