agency theory

Question 1

following on from the results of his experiments milgram developed this theory to explain obedience.
- milgrams experiments showed that most ordinary people will obey instructions.

Question 2

agency theory suggests people have two mental states: autonomous

Answer 2

a mindset where we behave independently and perceive ourselves to be responsible for our own behaviour so we feel guilt for what we do

Question 3

agent state

Answer 3

a mindset which allows us to carry out orders from an authority figure even if they conflict with our personal sense of right and wrong. we believe we act on someones behalf and the blame lies with them.

Question 4

agent shift

Answer 4

the switch between the autonomous and agentic that occurs when we perceive someone to be a legitimate source of authority and allow them to control our behaviour.

Question 5

moral strain

Answer 5

• this is experienced when people are asked to do something by an auth figure that they would not choose to do themselves
• there is tension for the individual who must contemplate on one hand doing something that they feel is immoral or the other - dissenting and therefore not doing what they have been socialised to do. which is to obey authority
• as a result they feel uncomfortable in the situation. in extreme circumstances they feel anxious and distressed.

Question 6

how can you end moral strain?

Answer 6

• the shift into the magnetic state relieves moral strain as the individual displaces the responsibility of the situation onto authority figure- clearing them of the consequencesnof actions.
• dissent to authority, the individual reuses and removes themself from situation

Question 7

evidence

Answer 7

+ supported by milgrams 1963 study
in the study he found that 65% of ptps were willing to obey authority and potentially seriously harm an innocent confederate.
this provides evidence for agency theory as the participants show overt signs of moral strain when he debriefed them. their behaviour was the responsibility of the experimenter and that they had not wanted to do it. this provides evidence for the concept of displacement of responsibility within the agentic shift.

CA - however Perry 2012, questioned the internal validity of this evidence saying that the participants saw through the deception.
she examined recently released evidence from the Yale uni archives. this evidence reveals that many participants questioned whether the shocks were real. this new evidence shows that across all of milgrams variation studies, more than 60% of participants disobeyed the experimenter. this reinterpretation of milgrams data leaves agency theory in question.

Question 8

application

Answer 8

• the theory can be used to explain real life events, where destructive obedience took place. eg my lai village was massacred during the Vietnam war. a lieutenant his division to enter and shoot all occupants (including old men, women, children with no return fire occurring) the lieutenant justified himself as just following orders.
• this offers some support for agency theory involving displacement of responsibility.

Question 9

S/W

Answer 9

• individual differences
  a weakness is that it does not explain id, why some people obey and others do not.
  disobedience can occur for many reasons such as personality type and situation.
  this means that obedience is amore complex process than is being explained by agency theory.
  + theory does take into account nature and nurture
  the development of hierarchies and obedience to authority figures indicates that there are evolutionary mechanisms behind obedience (nature) and this is further supported by socialisation eg education ( nurture).

Question 10

alternative

Answer 10

• social impact theory can be seen as an alternative to agency theory as it can explain different variables leading to dissent and obedience.