What effect does social support have on obedience in Milgram's experiments when participants are in small dissenting groups?

What effect does social support have on obedience in Milgram's experiments when participants are in small dissenting groups?

• A. It increases obedience to 90%.
• B. It reduces obedience to about 10%.
• C. It has no significant effect.
• D. It increases obedience to 80%.

Answer: (B)

Social influence from dissenting peers dramatically reduces obedience. In Milgram’s studies, when a participant is in a small dissenting group, having allies who refuse to continue provides a concrete model for disobedience and weakens the pressure from the authority figure. This social support shifts the norm from “must follow the experimenter” to “it’s acceptable to resist,” making it much easier to refuse and stop the procedure. As a result, obedience falls from the original level of about two-thirds delivering the highest shocks to roughly one in ten participants. This shows how even a little peer resistance can empower individuals to defy authority.

Social influence from dissenting peers dramatically reduces obedience. In Milgram’s studies, when a participant is in a small dissenting group, having allies who refuse to continue provides a concrete model for disobedience and weakens the pressure from the authority figure. This social support shifts the norm from “must follow the experimenter” to “it’s acceptable to resist,” making it much easier to refuse and stop the procedure. As a result, obedience falls from the original level of about two-thirds delivering the highest shocks to roughly one in ten participants. This shows how even a little peer resistance can empower individuals to defy authority.