The issue: In Robert B. Cialdini’s book, Influence, he talks about the theory of Authority and how it affects our day-to-day lives. He looks into different studies to see if Authority persuades us to do something based primarily on how much authority we perceive a person to have.
Major strength: Cialdini’s example of The Milgram studies is his strongest example in this chapter. The Milgram studies were studies done to see if people would continue to listen to authority figures even if that meant causing innocent victim harm in the process. They told test subjects to administer a shock to a person every time they got a question wrong. The test subjects believed they were sending out real electric shocks to the victims and could hear their fake cries and see their fake reactions. Milgram’s team predicted that only 2% of people would continue to listen to the test giver and continue to give the voltage till the max voltage was given. To the surprise of Milgram and the rest of the research team, they found that every one of the test subjects carried out the full experience, sending the maximum voltage to the patient. This is such a strong example because it shows just how much power authority figures have over our decision-making skills. We are more likely to stop thinking and to go along with what someone says as long as we view him or her to be a higher, credible, authority figure.
Major weakness: I believe the major weakness of this chapter is the section about titles. I agree that we are more likely to perceive someone with a higher title then us to be a credible source. I do not agree with the fact that just because an actor has played a doctor then we view them as having a higher title. I believe that people view the actor as an actor and that is why they gain more money for companies when they appear on commercials. I feel that people do not see them as being a doctor just because they played a doctor. I believe that most human beings can separate their fake profession from their real life job. Most humans would not assume that just because the actor plays a doctor does not mean they are an expert in that field. I believe this section needs some strengthening and it is lacking in real life examples to back up Cialdini’s case.
Underlying assumption: The underlying assumptions of the Authority Theory are that people are more likely to comply and listen to someone if they are perceived to have a higher, credibly status then the person being told to do something. As humans we are more likely to go along with someone who tells us to do something then to stop and think about the situation. We are very trusting beings and people use this against us very easily. If someone has on a police uniform we are more likely to listen to him or her before fully checking his or her credentials. We automatically observe the uniform and are immediately trusting of anything they say. This theory shows us that it is very important to think and use our own brains before doing something a perceived authority figure tells us it is okay to do. This does not mean we need to stop listening to authority figures but we need to start to use our own brains and take a second to see if the situations seem right before proceeding.
Provocative questions: Why are human beings so easily persuaded to do something based primarily on appearance of someone? How have certain things become ingrained in our minds as being considered of higher authority and more credible?
If you are driving down the road at night and see blue lights behind you what are you most likely to do? Most people would stop because that is what we are told to do but why do we immediately stop and assume that a police officer is going to appear at our door?