Gamson, Fireman and Rytina (1982)

‘Encounters with unjust authority’

Gamson, Fireman and Rytina (1982) aimed to test the hypothesis that a group is more likely to rebel than a lone individual. They set up a situation where it appeared to participants that they were being manipulated into signing statements which would then be used by an oil company in a legal case. In their experiment 16 out of 33 groups totally refused to do what was expected of them and in a further 9 groups the majority of group members refused.

Participants in the study were given plenty of breaks where they were able to mix freely with one another and discuss and clarify the situation for one another.

Having an opportunity for discussion can make a
huge difference to obedience levels.

The researchers observed that members of the group were having to decide between the urge to obey and the urge to conform to the group norm: many were uncertain at this point, delaying a decision as long as possible. Indeed, some group members went along with the experimenters and signed the statement they were being asked to sign, but then crossed out their signatures or tore up the statement when they realised that others were not going to sign.

It can be concluded that groups are more likely to resist obedience than individuals, provided they have a chance to discuss the implications freely with other group members.

Image by smannion.

Reference

Gamson, W.B., Fireman, B. and Rytina, S. (1982).  Encounters with unjust authority.  Hounwood, IL: Dorsey Press.