1. SOCIAL INFLUENCE (Explanations for obedience - Agentic State and Legitimacy of Authority) Flashcards
What is the agentic state?
The agentic state is a mental state where individuals do not feel responsible for their actions. Instead, they believe they are acting on behalf of an authority figure, as their “agent.”
What is the opposite of the agentic state?
The opposite is the autonomous state, where individuals act according to their own principles and feel responsible for their actions.
What is the “agentic shift”?
The agentic shift is the transition from an autonomous state to an agentic state when an individual perceives another person as an authority figure with greater power.
What are binding factors in the context of obedience?
Binding factors are aspects of the situation that reduce moral strain, allowing the individual to ignore or minimize the harmful effects of their actions, such as shifting responsibility to the victim.
How does Milgram’s study support the agentic state explanation?
Milgram’s participants asked who was responsible for the learner’s harm. When told the experimenter was responsible, many participants continued to administer shocks, supporting the idea that they acted as agents for the authority figure.
How does Hofling’s research support the agentic state?
In Hofling’s study, 21 out of 22 nurses obeyed an authority figure (a doctor) to administer an excessive drug dose, showing that they did not feel responsible, which supports the agentic state theory.
What is a limitation of the agentic state explanation based on contradictory evidence?
Rank et al. (1977) found that 16 out of 18 nurses disobeyed an authority figure (a doctor), suggesting that the agentic state cannot explain all cases of obedience.
What is a limitation of the agentic state in explaining gradual transitions in behaviour?
The agentic state explanation cannot account for gradual, irreversible transitions, such as those found in Nazi doctors in Auschwitz who slowly changed from medical professionals to perpetrators of cruelty.
What is the legitimacy of authority?
The legitimacy of authority is the idea that people are more likely to obey individuals they perceive as having rightful authority due to their position in a social hierarchy, such as police officers or teachers.
How does Milgram’s research demonstrate the role of legitimacy of authority in obedience?
In Milgram’s study, obedience was higher when the authority figure wore a lab coat (65%) but much lower when a member of the public gave orders (20%), showing that perceived legitimacy increases obedience.
What is a limitation of research supporting the legitimacy of authority?
The research often lacks ecological validity, as the tasks in Milgram’s experiment (giving electric shocks) are not typical real-life situations, making it difficult to generalize findings to everyday obedience.
How does Tarnow’s study on aviation support the legitimacy of authority?
Tarnow (2000) found that excessive dependence on the captain’s authority contributed to fatal airplane accidents, which supports the idea that people obey authority figures in real-world situations, enhancing the validity of the legitimacy explanation.
How do cultural differences impact the legitimacy of authority?
Kilham and Mann (1974) found lower obedience in Australia (16% of women obeyed), while Mantell (1971) found higher obedience in Germany (85%). This suggests that different societies structure authority differently, influencing obedience.
What is a limitation of the legitimacy of authority explanation?
The legitimacy of authority cannot explain all instances of disobedience, as shown by Rank et al. (1977), where most nurses disobeyed a doctor’s orders despite the clear hierarchy and authority, suggesting other factors influence obedience.
