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Personality predicts obedience in a Milgram paradigm
Laurent Bègue1, Jean-Léon Beauvois, Didier Courbet
1University of Grenoble-Alpes.
Journal of Personality
|May 7, 2014
Summary
Individual personality traits like Conscientiousness and Agreeableness, along with political orientation, predict obedience levels in Milgram-style experiments. These factors significantly influence willingness to obey authority, even in simulated contexts.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Personality Psychology
Background:
- The Milgram experiment is a foundational study on obedience to authority.
- Understanding factors influencing obedience remains crucial in social psychology.
- Previous research has explored various predictors of obedience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the predictive power of interindividual differences on obedience.
- To examine the relationship between personality traits and obedience.
- To explore the influence of political orientation and social activism on obedience.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a Milgram-like experiment adapted to a television game show format.
- Assessed participants (35 males, 31 females) using the Big Five Mini-Markers questionnaire.
- Measured political orientation and social activism via interviews presented as opinion polls.
Main Results:
- Conscientiousness and Agreeableness were positively associated with administering higher-intensity electric shocks.
- Political orientation and social activism also demonstrated a relationship with obedience.
- Individual differences in personality and political variables were found to be significant predictors of obedience.
Conclusions:
- Personality traits significantly influence an individual's propensity to obey authority.
- Political variables are also important determinants of obedience behavior.
- These findings contribute empirical evidence to the understanding of obedience to authority.
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