Agency Theory

Question 1

Autonomous state

Answer 1

We act under our own power, freewill. Decisions are made by our own ideas of what is responsible and the right thing to do. Actions are voluntary and self- directed. Conscience is fully operative and we are acting on our own.

Question 2

Agentic state

Answer 2

We give up our free-will and see ourselves as an agent to those in authority. We will do what we are told to do to be able to obey an authority figure.

Question 3

What factors would make someone believe the person giving the orders is an authority figure?

Answer 3

• Uniform
• Status
• Age

Question 4

Which state were the participants acting under in Milgram’s study?

Answer 4

The agency state as they were obeying the authority figure

Question 5

For those who only went up to 300v, what state did they switch to?

Answer 5

An autonomous state as they got confused by their own morals

Question 6

For the 35% who refused to obey, which state would explain this?

Answer 6

Autonomous state as they were refusing to obey the authority as it was morally wrong to them

Question 7

Organisational mode

Answer 7

Conscience becomes suppressed when they are working as part of a social system. Instructions are not evaluated against individual conscience in the same way as they are when a person is acting independently. This means that higher level control from other people can work more effectively.

Question 8

Agentic shift

Answer 8

Switching from the autonomous state to the agentic state. They give up their responsibility and follow orders without considering the consequences or whether the request is appropriate.

Question 9

Diffusion of responsibility

Answer 9

Person no longer monitors or feels responsible for their own behaviour because they are just following orders and so have been freed from the demands of their conscience.

Question 10

How is this seen in Milgram’s study?

Answer 10

Participants who went to 450v felt no responsibility for hurting the other as they went into the agentic state. They forgot the impact of the shock due to the blind obedience.

Question 11

Hierarchal society

Answer 11

For society to function, people have to obey those further up in the hierarchy. The world would be chaotic if we were autonomous all the time.

Question 12

Increased chance of survival

Answer 12

When in an agentic state, a person has