authority-biaslisted

# Authority Bias ## Overview **Authority bias** is the automatic tendency to comply with directives from authority figures — often overriding one's own judgment, ethics, or evidence. It operates beneath conscious deliberation: people substitute the authority's judgment for their own rather than weighing it. Milgram (1963) showed 65% of ordinary adults administered apparent 450V shocks when instructed by a lab-coated experimenter — against expert predictions of 1-2%. Cialdini (1984) systematized three authority triggers: titles, attire, and trappings — all of which fire regardless of actual expertise. Key distinction: **positional authority** (CEO, board chair, VC partner) vs. **domain expertise** (demonstrated track record on this specific question type). The bias treats them as identical. The skill does not. Composes with [`social-proof`](../social-proof/SKILL.md), [`reciprocity`](../reciprocity/SKILL.md), [`critical-thinking`](../critical-thinking/SKILL.md), [`signaling-games`](../signaling-games/SKILL.md), [`dunning-kruger`](../dunning-kruger/SKILL.md). ## When to Use - Boards, investment committees, due diligence on high-credential founders - Medical or technical decisions where expert opinion dominates discussion - Org decisions where senior voices suppress dissent; 360-feedback design - Negotiations where counterparty leverages credentials or position **Not when:** authority is verified domain expert on the exact question and speed matters. ## Coaching Novices