Social power theory of obedience

French and Raven's bases of power

French and Raven (1959) identified five bases of social power:

• Legitimate power: comes from a formal position of authority and social norms that say we should obey it (a police officer, a teacher).
• Reward power: the ability to give or withhold rewards (pay, praise, grades).
• Coercive power: the ability to punish or threaten (fines, detention).
• Expert power: comes from knowledge or skill, even if the expertise is only perceived (a doctor, a mechanic).
• Referent power: comes from being liked, admired or identified with (a popular captain).

Raven (1965) later added a sixth base, informational power: the ability to influence through information others need.

Explaining obedience and disobedience

We obey when the person giving the order holds a power base that matters to us. Several bases together give more power. People may disobey when the power base is weak: coercive and reward power usually need surveillance, so when the authority is absent, obedience falls. This links to Milgram's telephone variation, where obedience dropped when the experimenter left the room.

Evaluation

Strengths: it explains why obedience varies across settings, and real examples fit it (soldiers obeying officers with legitimate power). Milgram's experimenter had legitimate and expert power (Yale, lab coat), and obedience fell when these were removed (rundown office, ordinary man).

Weaknesses: the bases are hard to operationalise and measure reliably, so evidence is weak; coercive power depends on surveillance and cannot explain obedience when no one is watching; it focuses on the authority figure and says little about the person who obeys, whereas agency theory explains the psychological state of the obeyer.

Worked example

A student does homework set by a well-liked teacher who is also head of year and can give detentions. Identify three bases of power.

1. Well-liked: referent power.
2. Head of year: legitimate power from a formal position.
3. Can give detentions: coercive power.

Answer: Referent, legitimate and coercive power.

Check yourself

1. A patient takes a tablet because a pharmacist says it will help. Which base of power is mainly involved?
   • Coercive power
   • Reward power
   • Referent power
   • Expert power
   Show answer

   Expert power. The pharmacist is obeyed because of their knowledge.

2. Which base of power usually needs surveillance to be effective?
   • Referent power
   • Coercive power
   • Expert power
   • Informational power
   Show answer

   Coercive power. Threats only work if the person can be caught.

3. A traffic warden tells a driver to move their car and the driver does so. Which base of power is most clearly shown?
   • Referent power
   • Reward power
   • Expert power
   • Legitimate power
   Show answer

   Legitimate power. The warden holds a formal position that society accepts.

4. Who proposed the five bases of social power?
   • French and Raven (1959)
   • Milgram (1963)
   • Moscovici (1976)
   • Asch (1951)
   Show answer

   French and Raven (1959). French and Raven described the five bases in 1959.

5. How does social power theory differ from agency theory?
   • It says obedience is caused by a minority being consistent
   • It only explains conformity, not obedience
   • It focuses on the power held by the authority figure rather than the mental state of the person obeying
   • It says personality is the only cause of obedience
   Show answer

   It focuses on the power held by the authority figure rather than the mental state of the person obeying. Agency theory is about the obeyer's agentic state; social power theory is about the authority's power bases.

6. Using social power theory, explain why obedience fell in Milgram's telephonic instructions variation.
   Show answer

   The experimenter was absent, so there was no surveillance; his legitimate and coercive power was weaker at a distance, so participants felt less pressure to obey.. Power bases, especially coercive and legitimate power, weaken without surveillance.

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Sources

• Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Subsidiary/Advanced Level in Psychology specification (issue January 2026)
• Pearson International A Level Psychology component guide: WPS01
• Raven (1992) The bases of power: origins and recent developments (APA convention paper, ERIC ED351648)
• IAL Psychology revision site: Theories of obedience

Last updated 8 November 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.