On the dynamics of disobedience: experimental investigations of defying unjust authority

• Main Authors: Bocchiaro P, Zimbardo P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2017-07-01
• Series: Psychology Research and Behavior Management
• Subjects: Defiance; unjust authority; obedience; disobedience
• Online Access: https://www.dovepress.com/on-the-dynamics-of-disobedience-experimental-investigations-of-defying-peer-reviewed-article-PRBM
• ISSN: 1179-1578

Piero Bocchiaro,1 Philip Zimbardo2 1Department of Psychology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy; 2Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA Abstract: Across six Experimental conditions with university student participants (N=600), we examined some of the dynamics underlying expressed defiance to unjust authority. Results revealed disobedience was best enacted by participants low in right-wing authoritarianism and was more likely to occur when: 1) in physical proximity of other rebels, 2) the authority made two demanding requests instead of one, and 3) there had been an earlier opposition to injustice. Results are discussed within the theoretical framework of bounded rationality. Keywords: defiance, unjust authority, obedience, disobedience