Variations

• When the venue moved to seedy offices in nearby town

  65% → 47.5%
• Teacher and learner in the same room

  65% → 40%
• Teacher had to force learner's hand on to the plate

  65% → 10%
• Experimenter left room and experiment taken over by an ordinary member of the public

  65% → 20%
• People are less likely to obey when:

  • They feel the person giving the instructions has no legitimate authority
  • They can see the consequences of their actions
  • There are disobedient role models
  • The person giving the instructions is not around to see if the action is followed through
• People are more likely to obey when:

  • Somebody is willing to take responsibility for obeying the order for them - an agent
  • There are no other disobedient role models
  • They can't see the consequences of their actions
  • The person giving the instructions is with them