agentic state anf legitmacy of authority Flashcards
what’s agentic state
person sees themselves as an agent for carrying out another’s wishes
who’s research is this
milgram
more
these people feel less responsibility for their actions and are more likely to carry on as they’ve been told what to do (carrying out another’s wish)
self image and agentic state
when an action isn’t their responsibility it doesn’t reflect on their self image.
they might refrain to shock learner, however once participant moved into agentic state, no longer relevant becaude action isn’t their responsibility. eg shocking the learner as experimenter told them too
binding factors
in order to break off the experiment, the participant must break the commitment that he made to the experiment, and they fear that they may come across rude and arrogant, so they choose to continue
what’s LEGITMACY OF AUTHORTY
person who perceived to be in position of social control within situations
people more likely to obey them if they are seen as credible in terms of being morally good/right and legitimate (students more likely to listen to their parents or teacher than stranger)
carry on
in milgram study participants enter the laboratory with expectation someone will be in charge, the experimenter fills this role for them, the participant is perceived to be in position of social control
students are more likely to see experimenter as legitimate as they knew he was a scientist and therefore be responsible (called expert authority) . authority was legitimate as researcher held highest position within social hierarchy of experimental scenario
the definition of sitaution
although it’s the participant themselves who perform the action (shock learner) he allows authority figure to define its meaning. but the suffering of learner convinces him that he should stop, but the experimenter (legitimate authority) orders him to continue, reassuring participant learner isn’t in danger
legitimate authority requires an institution
if commands are seen to be harmful then they must come from an institution eg military or uni.
in milgram study this doesn’t have to be particularly reputable institutions.
the experiment took place in run down building and people were obedient
following orders
milgram believed agentic shift happened and the blame was passed along.
called ordered the murder of civilians in vietnam, calley did not accept responsibility for his action and said he was following orders of his captain, the man carried out order and killed over 500 villagers. another example is holocaust
strengt
real life obidence - LIFTON studied german doctors in auschwitz who went from doctors to people who carried out horrific experiments
and can be seen in military training so where’s harmful behaviour
weak
just plain cruel : the stanford prison experiment guards don’t have a specific authors telling them what to do
