In a variation on his original experiment, Milgram had the experimenter leave the room after telling participants that they could deliver whatever level of shock they chose. After the experimenter left, a confederate suggested that the participant increase the shock by one level each time the learner made a mistake. In this variation, only about 20 percent of participants went to the highest shock level. The fact that the authority figure's presence made much more of a difference than that of a peer suggests the role of __________.
A) informational influence
B) normative influence
C) private acceptance
D) mindless conformity

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The presence of an authority figure provides informational influence, guiding participants on what is considered the correct action, which is diminished when the authority figure is absent.

In a Variation on His Original Experiment, Milgram Had the Experimenter