Obedience vs. conformity vs. compliance
A participant keeps delivering what he believes are painful shocks after a researcher in a lab coat tells him, "The experiment requires that you continue." This is an example of:
Answer D: explanation for every choice
A
Conformity is matching your behavior to a group's norms without a direct request. No group is present.
B
Compliance is agreeing to a request from someone without formal authority, as in sales tactics.
C
Groupthink is a cohesive group's drive for consensus overriding critical thinking. He is alone with the researcher.
D
Correct. Obedience is following a direct command from an authority figure, as in Milgram's studies.
TakeawayGroup norm → conformity. Request → compliance. Command from authority → obedience.
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Reviewed 2026-11-05 by a medical student. Spot an error? Report it with question ID ps9.