A recent study conducted by researchers at The Ohio State University has found that most people believe they are better at resisting pressure to violate their own principles than they actually are. The findings suggest that individuals think they are more likely than the average person to disobey immoral or unlawful orders from an authority figure.
This phenomenon is known as the "better-than-average effect," revealing that people resist internalizing beliefs that may harm their self-perceptions. Ignoring how everyone is subject to social pressure could leave a person vulnerable to the desires of malicious actors.
"Social pressures are way more powerful and impactful than we give them credit for," said Philip Mazzocco, lead author of the study and an associate professor of psychology at The Ohio State University. "If you fall under the sway of these pressures, you could end up engaging in behavior inconsistent with your values and morals."
The research began as a class project designed by Mazzocco's students, based on the Milgram experiment. The Milgram experiment was a 1960s-era study that aimed to understand the link between obedience and authority. In the Milgram experiments, participants were asked by an authority figure to deliver what they believed to be painful and, at times, lethal electric shocks to another person. The experiment suggested that people would obey authority even when it conflicted with their own beliefs.
In the new study, Mazzocco's team had more than 400 adults read first-person accounts of the Milgram shock study before asking them to predict their responses and those of the average person. Half of the participants were told that 65% of those in the original Milgram study exhibited "complete obedience," while the other half were given no additional information.
Participants were asked at what voltage level, if any, they thought they would disobey and end the study. They could choose on a dial ranging from 1 (quitting the study after the first shock) to 31 (exhibiting complete obedience throughout the experiment). On average, participants thought they themselves would quit the study around dial 7. In contrast, they thought the average person would not stop until approximately dial 12.
Those informed of the Milgram study results predicted that the average person would administer significantly higher voltages than those who were not told. However, those who were informed did not think they themselves would deliver significantly higher shocks than those who were not told. This was another indication of the better-than-average effect.
"Just reading about a situation is not sufficient, as doing so doesn't really internalize the point that we're all really susceptible to these pressures," Mazzocco said. The study likens the perceived difference between predicted and actual obedience to watching a horror movie from home versus actually being pursued by someone.
Personality and value tests were given to participants to determine what role personal characteristics might play in a real-life situation. One significant predictor of actual obedience in a Milgram-like scenario was conscientiousness, the personality trait of being responsible and adhering to rules and norms. Those who exhibited conscientiousness were more likely to want to appease the experimenter.
"Studies like these are relevant to society because if we all assume we're so resistant to obedience, we are not going to immunize ourselves against authority figures who want to take advantage of us," Mazzocco said. Immunization techniques against undue obedience include learning to avoid situations with intense social pressures or having a strategy to deal with or escape a potentially negative encounter. He admits removing oneself isn't always possible and recommends cultivating curiosity to help a person keep true to their values.
The study by Mazzocco and colleagues was recently published in the journal *Current Psychology*. Other Ohio State co-authors include Katie Reitler, Lauren Little, John Korte, Monicka Ridgill, and Xamina Stalnaker.
The preparation of this article relied on a news-analysis system.