Obedience
Responding to a directive from someone perceived as an authority.
Definition
Obedience is behavior performed in response to an order from a person perceived to have authority in the situation.
How to understand it
The authority relationship distinguishes obedience from simply matching peers. Authority can be attached to a role and interpreted differently across settings. Classic research investigates how situational arrangements affect responses to directives; its findings should not be treated as proof that everyone inevitably obeys every order.
For a clear example, identify the directive, who issued it, why that person was regarded as an authority, and what the recipient did. Those details help distinguish obedience from voluntary agreement or a request between equals. They also keep the explanation focused on the observed relationship rather than assigning a fixed obedient personality.
Evidence: (Spielman et al., 2020); (Burger, Conformity and Obedience, n.d.)
A supervisor’s instruction
Teaching scenario
In this fictional training exercise, a venue supervisor tells a new volunteer to close the registration desk early. The volunteer follows the instruction because the supervisor manages the event, although attendees are still arriving. Another volunteer follows a queueing pattern copied from peers without receiving an order. The first response illustrates obedience; the second might involve conformity. The scenario does not determine whether closing was appropriate. To assess that question, a reader would need additional information about the event, responsibilities, and consequences rather than assuming that authority alone makes an action correct.
Constructed for learning. This scenario is not a report of an empirical finding or a diagnosis.
Common confusion: Conformity
Obedience centers on an authority’s directive; conformity centers on adjustment to a group or perceived norm, sometimes without explicit commands.
Compare conformity and obedience
Evidence: (Spielman et al., 2020); (Burger, Conformity and Obedience, n.d.)
Limits of the concept
- Authority does not establish that an instruction is justified.
- Laboratory findings do not supply a universal obedience rate for everyday life.
Evidence: (Spielman et al., 2020); (Burger, Conformity and Obedience, n.d.)
Textbook connection
Direct coveragePsychology 2e: 12.4 Conformity, Compliance, and Obedience
The subsection explicitly discusses this concept.
Supplementary concepts may extend beyond this section. The source notes below identify the evidence for those details.
Related concepts
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Sources and inspection notes
Checked October 21, 2026. An inspection date is not a source publication date. Definitions and scenarios on this page are original teaching explanations.
- Burger, conformity and obedience. (n.d.). https://nobaproject.com/modules/conformity-and-obedienceExpert-authored academic teaching module
Conformity, informational influence, descriptive norms, and obedience coverage checked. Inspected on 21 October 2026.
- Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/12-4-conformity-compliance-and-obedienceCourse textbook subsection
Title, URL, and relevant subsection text inspected on 21 October 2026. Used for concept checking and course navigation; no textbook exercises or illustrations reproduced.