“Obedience to Authority – Milgram’s Legacy and Emerging Directions”

(9–11 September 2026) 

Sixty-five years after Milgram’s groundbreaking studies, research on obedience to authority has entered a new phase. A “second wave” is unfolding in social psychology and related disciplines, marked by theoretical innovation, methodological diversification, and renewed conceptual debate. Archival re-analyses, ethically refined experimental paradigms, and neurophysiological investigations of agency and responsibility have substantially expanded the empirical landscape.

At the same time, the field is increasingly fragmented. Competing frameworks – obedience as blind submission, agentic state, engaged followership, or action control mode – coexist without systematic integration. Divergent operationalizations across paradigms sometimes produce findings that appear inconsistent, raising foundational questions about definitions, mechanisms, and scope.

Yet convergence is visible. Many contemporary accounts emphasize the socially embedded nature of obedience and highlight the moral and social conflicts that emerge –or might emerge – when authorities demand transgressive action. These developments create a critical moment for conceptual clarification and theoretical consolidation.

This EASP Small Group Meeting aims to bring structure to this landscape. We convene researchers across laboratories and disciplines to critically compare paradigms, articulate shared assumptions, and identify points of (dis)agreement. 

Our goals are to:

·         systematically map current theoretical and methodological approaches,

·         clarify core concepts and mechanisms,

·         promote cross-paradigm integration,

·         strengthen international networking within this emerging research community, and

·       situate psychological models of obedience within broader historical and societal contexts (in cooperation with the Center for Commemorative Culture of the University of Regensburg).

In line with the societal “third mission” of science, the meeting will also include a guided field visit to the Flossenbürg concentration camp memorial site in cooperation with historians and memorial educators. The visit is intended as a space for reflection on how psychological research on obedience and disobedience intersects with historical analysis, public memory and commemorative culture, as well as current events and debates.

The program will combine research presentations with structured discussion formats and dedicated networking opportunities designed to stimulate exchange and long-term collaboration.