Evaluation of Agency theory

Question 1

Supporting research?

Answer 1

Milgrams own research supported showing when a person in put into a high pressure situation with an authority figure two thirds would continue to obey this order right till the end.

• Support in real life situations too as in Hofling
• Also studies from different cultures as in Meeus and Raaijmaker

Question 2

Credibility?

Answer 2

Explanations of actions by war criminals ‘only following orders’ (Mai Lai ‘clear the area’ in a village in Vietnam)
-Prison guards in Abu Ghraib prison arguing they were just doing their jobs

Question 3

Application to real life?

Answer 3

Used to reduce dangers to stop destructive obedience in the future , making training courses available to make people take responsibly for their own actions
-However agency theory could have negative effects allowing leaders to force people into the agentic state to manipulate them .

Question 4

bad evidence

Answer 4

• It ignores other reasons for obedience such as personality
• Ethical issues because it excuses responsibility for those commuting awful actions blaming it on natural human behavior and offering excuses