Agentic State And Legitimacy Of Authority Flashcards
What is meant by the agentic state and how does it impact obedience?
A mental state in which we feel no responsibility for our actions as we are acting as the agent of someone else and so we pass the responsibility over to them.
The agentic state is likely to make an individual more obedient as they believe they have no responsibility for their actions and the outcomes of their behaviour.
What is meant by the legitimacy of authority?
An explanation which suggests we are likely to obey those who we perceive to have more authority over us. Most societies are hierarchical and so at a young age, children are socialised into this hierarchy making them inevitably obedient to people like parents, teachers and the police.
What is meant by the autonomous state?
A mental state where individuals direct their own behaviour and take responsibility for their actions.
What is meant by binding factors.
Aspects of a situation which allow a person to minimise the damaging effects of their behaviour for example, such as blaming the victim for volunteering (in Milgram’s study).
What is meant by destructive authority?
When authoritative figures use their authority for disastrous purposes. Can be seen through events in the past where figures such as Hitler used their authority for the wrong reasons.
What are two strengths of the agentic state and legitimacy of authority explanations of obedience.
- Can be used to explain real life situations.
Kilham and Mann put forward the example of the My Lai Massacres where American soldiers murdered civilians in Vietnamese villages.
explained in terms of the agentic state theory.
This situation shows obedience to destructive authority in real life.
Therefore, both theories can be seen throughout history and so are valid explanations of obedience.
- Research support.
Milgram found that when the experimenter said he was responsible for the learner being harmed, the pps went through experiment quickly with no further objections.
Shows individuals act as people’s agents so long as they aren’t blamed.
Therefore, agentic state makes people more obedient.
What is one limitation of the agentic state and legitimacy of authority explanations of behaviour?
- Limited explanation.
Rank and Jacobson -16 out of 18 nurses disobeyed an order from a doctor.
According to the legitimacy of authority theory, more nurse should have obeyed the doctor as they were an obvious figure of authority.
Therefore, the agentic shift can only account for some situations of obedience.
