Evaluation of Agency Theory

Question 1

List two strengths of the Agency Theory

Answer 1

• Supporting Evidence

- Applications

Question 2

List two weaknesses of the Agency Theory

Answer 2

• Individual Differences

- Difficult to test

Question 3

Give one strength of the Agency Theory using SUPPORTING EVIDENCE

Answer 3

• In Milgram’s expt, 65% were willing to obey researcher up to 450v and many showed signs of moral strain (sweating , trembling etc)
• This is a strength because it shows participants obeying authority and displacing responsibility, which is what Agency Theory suggests

Question 4

Give one strength of the Agency Theory using APPLICATIONS

Answer 4

• Many actions carried out by NAZI in ww1 and My La Massacre in Vietnam, shows that both soldiers were acting under orders of officers. This shows that the soldiers were no longer in the autonomous state.
• This is a strength because people will carry out orders in life due to factors like agentic shift

Question 5

Give one weakness of the Agency Theory using INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

Answer 5

• For e.g. 35% people in Milgram’s study did not give all of the electric shocks, There are reasons like: gender, culture and etc.
• This is a weakness because it suggests that obedience may be more complex than Agency theory suggests.

Question 6

Give one weakness of the Agency theory using DIFFICULTY TO TEST

Answer 6

• Ideas like agentic shift and autonomy are states of mind caused by internal mental processes which can’t be measured scientifically.
• we can’t directly observe and test Agency theory and the ideas behind it as they are mental processes that take place internally.