Okuzeka
Psychology vocabulary · Social Psychology

Obedience

Meaning in psychology, with examples

/əˈbiːdiəns/nounCommon term

In psychology, obedience means: Following a direct order from a person seen as an authority, even when it conflicts with one's own judgement or values.

In Turkish: itaat

How it is used

Best known from Stanley Milgram's experiments in the 1960s, in which many participants followed instructions to give what they believed were painful electric shocks. It differs from conformity, where the pressure is unspoken and comes from peers.

Example sentences

  1. In Milgram's original study, obedience was far higher than experts had predicted.

  2. Obedience dropped when the experimenter gave the orders by telephone.

Common collocations

  • obedience to authority
  • destructive obedience
  • Milgram's obedience studies
  • conformityChanging one's behaviour or beliefs to match those of a group because of real or imagined pressure from others.
  • attitudeA fairly lasting evaluation of a person, group, object or idea that combines beliefs, feelings and a tendency to act in a positive or negative way.
  • social identityThe part of a person's self-concept that comes from belonging to social groups, such as a nation, profession, team or religion, and from the value attached to that membership.
  • bystander effectThe finding that people are less likely to help someone in an emergency when other people are present, partly because responsibility feels shared.

More terms: Social Psychology

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level:

This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.