Agentic Shift Flashcards
What is the agentic shift?
Moving from being in an autonomous state (having free will) to being an agent
What is the agentic state?
The condition a person is in when they see themselves as an agent carrying out a mission
Can people still experience moral strain in the agentic state?
Yes- they may still feel moral strain, but they still remain in the agentic state
Due to binding factors, they feel as if they have to continue, even if they don’t want to
Can participants still feel distressed while being in the agentic state?
Yes- they can still feel distressed, but they do not view themselves as being responsible
What is destructive authority and destructive obedience?
When power is used for destructive purposes and obedience is used to harm others
What is an example of destructive obedience?
When ppts act against their conscience
How is society usually organised?
In a hierachial way
What do we learn to do with legitimacy of authority and how do we learn it?
We learn via socialisation that we will be accepted if we obey those who have authority over us- we trust them and they have the power to punish us if we disobey authority
How is legitimacy of authority legitimate?
It has been agreed by society that these positions carry power and most people accept this
What are the strengths of legitimacy of authority?
Shows cultural differences in obedience- reflects how different societies are structured and how children are raised to perceive authority figures
E.g. the Milgram experiment was conducted in Australia and only 16% of female ppts went up to 450V- however, for German ppts, obedience went up too 85%
Limitations of legitimacy of authority?
Legitimacy cannot explain instances of disobedience in a hierarchy where the legitimacy of authority is clear. This suggests that innate tendencies to disobey have a larger influence than the legitimacy of authority
