Recall that Milgram conducted a variation on his original obedience experiment. In this variation, there were two confederates in addition to the participant. When the participant threw the switch at 150 volts, one of the confederates refused to continue, even though the experimenter commanded him or her to do so. In this variation, only about 10 percent (compared to about 65 percent in the original study) went to the highest shock level. This experimental variation demonstrated the power of __________ in eliciting obedience.
A) informational social influence
B) descriptive norms
C) normative social influence
D) the door-in-the-face effect

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The variation with two confederates demonstrated the power of normative social influence in eliciting obedience. One of the confederates refused to continue shocking, which created social pressure on the participant to also refuse. This shows how people in groups often conform to social norms and the norms of the group, even if it goes against their personal beliefs.

Recall That Milgram Conducted a Variation on His Original Obedience