Agency Theory Flashcards
Milgram’s obedience studies came before his Agency Theory, making this theory a…
…grounded theory.
In the Autonomous state…
…we have the power to control our actions.
In the Agentic state…
…we give up our free will but defer the responsibility of our actions.
What is the agentic shift?
When we shift from the Autonomous state to the Agentic state.
In which state do people feel responsible for their actions?
The Autonomous State
When did Milgram’s participants experience Agentic Shift?
When the experimenter said “I am responsible for what happens here” and they realised they we not going to be held responsible for their actions
Why are children socialised into accepting the Agentic State?
Their parents tell them what to do and use punishments to stop undesired behaviour.
What is moral strain?
Moral strain is what we feel when we give up control and feel great discomfort because we disagree with the orders given.
How do we deal with moral strain?
We use defence mechanisms such as denial or avoidance (not looking at the victim)
Evaluation: supporting studies
- Milgram’s study of obedience
- moral strain displayed by Ps
- authority figure taking responsibility
Evaluation: criticisms
> circular logic: we know they are obeying because they’re in the agentic state, we know they’re in the agentic state because they are obeying
> some of Milgram’s Ps did not obey - the theory does not account for individual differences
Evaluation: different theories (2)
- social power theory
2. social impact theory
Evaluation: applications (2)
> understanding of why Nazi soldiers obeyed orders
> everyday obedience
