agency theory

Question 1

what did Milgram propose about obedience?

Answer 1

that obedience must serve some evolutionary and societal function

Question 2

what is the organisation of human society equal to?

Answer 2

hierarchal in nature

Question 3

what did Milgram propose about the hierarchy in relation to evolution/survival?

Answer 3

• Milgram proposed that this hierarchy must have evolved because it serves some survival function
• this means that societies where people live in social groups with leaders have a greater chance of surviving

Question 4

who made agency theory, the theory that explains obedience?

Answer 4

Milgram

Question 5

what is a necessary feature within the social organisation to maintain it?

Answer 5

obedience

Question 6

what would happen without obedience within the social organisation?

Answer 6

challenges to the social order resulting in chaos and societal breakdown

Question 7

what is nature?

Answer 7

innate preparedness

the belief that we are born the way we are and it can’t be changed, for example we are innately prepared to be obedient (it is passed on genetically)

Question 8

what is nurture?

Answer 8

socialisation

our upbringing and exposure to authority figures
primary and secondary socialisation

Question 9

what are the 2 types of socialisation?

Answer 9

primary socialisation - the family
secondary socialisation - schools, legal systems

Question 10

what 2 states did Milgram propose humans exist in?

Answer 10

autonomous and agentic

Question 11

what did Milgram propose that within the hierarchal structure of a social group is necessary ?

Answer 11

a mechanism that ensures obedience

Question 12

what is the autonomous state?

Answer 12

• a mindset where humans act according to their own free will
• they direct their own behaviour and take responsibility for the consequences of their actions

Question 13

what is the agentic state?

Answer 13

• when given instructions by a legitimate authority figure a person switches to an agentic state
• they see themselves as acting as an agent for the authority figure. therefore, they allow someone else to direct their behaviour and assume that responsibility for their actions passes to that person

Question 14

what is moral strain?

Answer 14

• moral strain is experienced when people are asked to do something by an authority figure that they would not choose to do themselves
• there is a tension for the individual who must contemplate between something immoral or dissenting and not being what they were socialised to do which is obey authority
• as a result they will feel uncomfortable / anxious / distressed. this is moral strain

Question 15

how can you end moral strain?

Answer 15

• obey
• dissent to authority (disobey)

Question 16

describe the 2 ways to end moral strain

Answer 16

obey:
- shift to an agentic state of mind
- this results in a displacement of responsibility
- the authority figure has the responsibility

disobey:
- shift to an autonomous state of mind
- can produce relief once the individual has removed themself from the situation

Question 17

evidence

Answer 17

Hofling et al 1966
- 22 out of 23 nurses obeyed the instructions of an unknow doctor ,over the phone, to give a dangerously high dosage of medicine to a patient
- Hofling provides further evidence in a natural setting
- could be argued that the research is outdated

Milgram’s study 1963
- demonstrated that in the face of legitimate authority people will carry out orders despite feeling high levels of moral strain.
this implies they move from an autonomous state to an agentic state as a way of relieving moral strain
- however, if Milgram’s research is flawed then maybe the theory rests on weak evidence eg. low ecological validity.

Question 18

application

Answer 18

• the concept of agency theory and reduction of moral strain has been used in military situations to ensure that soldiers follow orders
• moral strain is reduced, for example, by using sayings such as ‘collateral damage’ to minimise civilian deaths and dehumanising language to describe the enemy . this ensure that soldiers remain in an agentic state

Question 19

strengths

Answer 19

agency theory illustrates features of the social approach since it shows how decisions that people think that are personal to them, are actually expressions of their social situation

Question 20

alternative

Answer 20

social impact theory

Question 20

shortcomings

Answer 20

• agentic state is not inevitable
• 35% of Milgram’s participants did not obey and remained autonomous in the face of legitimate authority (agency theory does not explain these individual differences)
• in contrast to the study by Hofling 1966 Rank and Jacobson 1977 found that 16 out of 18 nurses failed to obey orders from a doctor to administer an overdose of the drug Valium. In this later more modern study, the nurses did not adopt an agentic state