Agency Theory Flashcards
Agency Theory - Suggestions
People’s tendency to obey people has a useful function; it helps to keep society running smoothly, because people abide by the rules instead of acting independently.
The Two States
Autonomous state
Agentic State
Autonomous State
The person believes that they have power.
They freely choose their own behaviour, and take control of their own actions. They will be guided by their own moral code.
Agentic State
The person allows someone else to direct their behaviour, instead of choosing it themselves.
They assume that because someone is directing them, that other person is responsible for the consequences of their behaviour. They are simply acting as an agent for that person. This may lead them to act against their own moral code. The person gives up their free will in order to serve the needs of society.
Explanation through Evolution
It could be a survival strategy: following leaders obediently rather than acting independently can increase the chances of survival in a threatening situation.
Modern Use of Agency Theory
The agentic state helps society to function smoothly.
Learning to act Agentically
Milgram suggested that acting agentically is learned in childhood from parents, and in schools, when children are taught to put aside their own wishes so that order can be maintained.
The legal system reinforces this in adulthood.
Moral Strain
People experience moral strain when they feel that their obedient behaviour is wrong, and goes against their own moral values.
Sources of Moral Strain
In Milgram’s Study:
Participants heard the cries of the victim
Participants may have feared retaliation from the victim
Participants had to go against their own moral values
There was a conflict between the needs of the victim and the needs of the authority figure
The participants would not want to harm someone as this would go against their own view of themselves
Resolving Moral Strain
Move into the agentic State by displacing responsibility onto an authority figure
Refuse to obey the orders
Evidence
P - Supported by Milgram’s (1963) obedience study, evidence for the agentic state.
E - In Milgram’s study, 65% of participants obeyed authority and administered the highest shock of 450V despite showing signs of moral strain (e.g., sweating, trembling). Many participants justified their actions by saying they were “just following orders.”
E - This supports the idea that people enter an agentic state when obeying authority, shifting responsibility onto the authority figure. It also explains why individuals obey even when they feel uncomfortable with their actions.
CP - However, not all participants obeyed, suggesting individual differences (e.g., personality, upbringing) may also play a role in obedience, which Agency Theory does not fully explain.
Application
P - Agency Theory has real-world applications in understanding historical events, such as war crimes and authoritarian obedience.
E - Theory used to explain the actions of Nazi soldiers in WWII, who claimed “just following orders” during the Holocaust. Also been applied in military training, where obedience is essential.
E - Makes Agency Theory useful in explaining how authority figures influence behaviour in real-world settings, such as police forces, the military, and workplaces. It also helps in preventing blind obedience by promoting personal responsibility.
CP - However, war crimes and atrocities may also be explained by dispositional factors (e.g., personality, ideology), suggesting that obedience is not solely due to the agentic shift.
Comparison
P - Agency Theory less detailed than Social Impact Theory, which considers multiple factors affecting obedience.
E - Social Impact Theory suggests that obedience depends on strength (authority’s power), immediacy (closeness), and number (group size). This theory explains why obedience varies in different contexts, whereas Agency Theory focuses mainly on the agentic shift.
E - Suggests that while Agency Theory explains why people obey, Social Impact Theory provides a more nuanced explanation, considering multiple situational factors.
How good is the research?
P - A weakness of Agency Theory is that it relies on Milgram’s research, which has ethical and methodological limitations.
E - Milgram’s study has been criticised for deception and psychological harm, as participants were misled about the true purpose and felt extreme stress. Additionally, the study was conducted in an artificial lab setting, which may lack ecological validity.
E - This weakens the credibility of Agency Theory, as its supporting evidence may not fully generalize to real-life obedience. People might behave differently in real-world situations, where they have more time to reflect on their actions.
CP - However, Milgram’s findings have been replicated across cultures (e.g., Burger, 2009), suggesting that obedience and the agentic state are consistent across different societies.
