The authority principle: The dangers of blindly trusting authority figures
We tend to comply with requests from people in positions of authority.
Have you ever been scammed by someone posing as an authority figure?
Do you let potential customers know what makes you a knowledgeable, trustworthy authority?
Do you find reviews from verified buyers more persuasive than other types of reviews?
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The authority principle is our tendency to comply with requests and follow instructions from people in positions of authority.
It is an example of a heuristic, where, to save time and effort, we rely on the judgements of people in positions of authority rather than thoroughly evaluating information or situations. This usually benefits us because authority figures generally have more wisdom, more power, and better access to information than we do.
This deep-seated, often unconscious, tendency stems from evolutionary factors and social conditioning. From an evolutionarily perspective, obeying authority figures in most cases meant greater access to scarce resources, better protection, and a greater chance of group cohesion, which increased the chances of survival in early human societies. From a social perspective, an accepted system of authority offers enormous benefits to a society. It enables the development of complex organisations for production, trade and defence. Therefore, we are taught from an early age that obedience to authority is right and disobedience is wrong.
Examples of the authority principle
👉 The Milgram Experiment is a psychological study conducted in the 1960s by Professor Stanley Milgram to investigate obedience to authority figures. Participants were asked by a researcher wearing a lab coat to deliver increasingly stronger electric shocks to another person when that person answered questions incorrectly. Unbeknownst to the participants, the other person was an actor posing as a participant and the shocks were not real. The study found that about two-thirds of participants were willing to administer severe shocks, up to 450 volts, if ordered to do so by the authority figure. This study, and many that followed, highlighted the influence of authority on ordinary people's willingness to obey, even when doing so conflicted with their moral beliefs and caused them emotional and physical pain.
👉 According to the Bible book of Genesis, Adam and Eve lived blissfully in Paradise. They were forbidden to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge. When they disobeyed this command from the ultimate authority, they were expelled from Paradise. This story reminds us that we must follow the orders of authorities.
👉 Those in positions of legitimate authority tend to have more knowledge and experience than us in their area of expertise. We cannot possibly be experts in all areas that are important to us. That's why we follow the medical advice of our doctor, the legal advice of an experienced attorney, the guidance of expert teachers, and the directives of experienced and skilled leaders.
👉 People want to work with real experts, so it's important that we let them know what makes us a knowledgeable, trustworthy authority before we try to influence them. To increase our perceived trustworthiness, we should mention a genuine (usually minor) drawback or weakness of our case before describing its positive features. Identifying weaknesses at an early stage is seen as more honest, making people more likely to believe the strengths of our case.
👉 Verified buyer reviews are genuine reviews from people who have been confirmed to have purchased the product or service. These reviews are perceived as more credible, which increases their persuasiveness.
👉 Health professionals tend to automatically obey doctors' orders, as doctors hold the position of respected authorities. Unfortunately, this means that when a doctor makes an obvious mistake, none of the lower-ranked health professionals will correct the doctor. Similarly, in aviation, co-pilots often rely on the pilot's authority, which can prevent them from raising potential mistakes.
👉 We are often vulnerable to the symbols of authority. Scammers increase their chances of success by posing as authority figures. For example, by using fancy titles such as Professor or Doctor that they don’t really have. By wearing designer clothes and driving expensive cars to fake a high economic status. Or by dressing up as fire inspectors, police officers, delivery drivers, security guards or medical professionals. Even wearing a business suit can increase one's authority status.
How to reduce the negative impact of the authority principle
Although a heuristic like the authority principle generally works well, it can lead to errors of judgment if applied uncritically without taking into account other relevant information. In these cases we do not consider the situation as a whole, but only the aspect of authority. Using this mental shortcut makes us vulnerable to the actions of those who try to take advantage of the authority principle. Protecting ourselves from the negative consequences of biases can be tiresome and impractical, but it can be worth it when the stakes are high.
⚒️ Become aware of the authority principle
Becoming aware of the potential adverse influence of the authority principle is the first step in reducing its impact.
When making an important or costly decision involving an authority figure, take a step back and examine whether the authority principle could negatively influence the decision. Ask yourself questions such as:
🤔 Am I blindly trusting this person because of the title or uniform? Evaluate whether you're giving credibility based solely on someone's position or appearance, without critically considering their actions or information.
🤔 What is the basis of this person’s authority in this situation? Clarify whether the person's expertise is legitimate in the context of your interaction. For example, whether the person’s expertise or role is directly related to the matter at hand.
🤔 What possible ulterior motives could the person have in this situation? Evaluate the possible personal benefits the person might have, to help you judge the person’s trustworthiness in this situation.
🤔 What evidence supports the person’s claims or demands? Review the evidence behind the person’s assertions, to help assess the legitimacy of their authority and to determine whether their statements are consistent with the facts.
If you become aware that the authority principle may negatively influence your decision, take steps to mitigate its effects so that you can assess your options more objectively.
⚒️ Develop critical thinking skills
Developing your critical thinking skills will provide you with the tools needed to more objectively assess information and requests from authority figures. Critical thinking involves questioning assumptions, analysing evidence, recognising biases, and assessing the validity of arguments.
As you develop critical thinking skills, you will become more inclined to question and critically evaluate information presented by authority figures, rather than simply accepting it. You will be better equipped to assess the evidence and reasoning behind an authority figure's information and requests. And it encourages you to look for alternative viewpoints, creating a more comprehensive understanding before accepting an authority figure's viewpoint. By continually refining your critical thinking skills, you inherently reduce your susceptibility to blindly accepting information or requests from authority figures, leading to more informed and independent decision-making.
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We tend to comply with requests and follow instructions from people in positions of authority. Trusting the judgements of authority figures usually benefits us, but it can sometimes negatively impact our decisions if we accept these judgements uncritically without considering the situation as a whole. Developing critical thinking skills makes you more likely to critically evaluate information presented by authority figures.
References
Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert B. Cialdini PhD
My blogposts about influence are available here:
https://www.a3lifedesign.com/blog-english/category/Influence
