Explanations for obedience - 16 marks

Question 1

Define agentic state

Answer 1

We fail to take responsibility because we believe we are acting on behalf of an authority figure

Question 2

Give an example of agentic state

Answer 2

Adolf Elchman - charged for being head of Nazi death camp and only defence was “only following orders”

Question 3

What is autonomous state

Answer 3

To be independent or free

Question 4

What is the agentic shift

Answer 4

Shift from autonomy to agency

Question 5

What is diffused responsibility

Answer 5

Shifting responsibility to somebody else

Question 6

What is moral strain

Answer 6

Feeling uncomfortable/distressed as a consequence of going against your conscience and doing something you know to be wrong - consequence of agentic state

Question 7

In what study did pt’s experience moral strain

Answer 7

Milgram

Question 8

What are the defence mechanisms to cope with moral strain

Answer 8

Repression - involves keeping certain thoughts, feelings, or urges out of conscious awareness
Denial - seen by Nazi soldiers who denied the holocaust ever happened

Question 9

What type of explanation is the agentic state

Answer 9

Situational

Question 10

What is socialisation

Answer 10

Brought up to recognise and obey those with higher legitimate authority

Question 11

What is the social hierarchy

Answer 11

People in certain positions hold authority over the rest of us

Question 12

What are + evaluation points for explanations of obedience

Answer 12

Agentic state -
Research support - Milgram found many pt’s wanted to leave but felt powerless due to binding factors they felt

Legitimacy of authority -
Research support - Bickman found obedience is twice as likely to security guard then jacket and tie

Question 13

Define authoritarianism

Answer 13

the personality disorder where the individual has the tendency to be rigid, dogmatic, absolute to beliefs, resistant to novelty and changes , obedient to authority, submissive to the people who regards superior than him and cynical against the out-group members who regards as inferior in comparison with his group members

Question 14

What is the ‘might is right’ variation of authoritarian personality

Answer 14

These people have insecurities that lead to hostility towards non - conventional people and to have someone tough in charge. This leads to high obedience to authority figures

Question 15

Who devised the ‘might is right’ variation of authoritarian personality

Answer 15

Adorno

Question 16

What is the ‘personality traits’ variation to authoritarian personality

Answer 16

Traits:
- respect and submissive to authority figures
- rigid beliefs and conventional values
- hostility towards other groups
- intolerance of ambiguity

Question 17

What is the ‘upbringing’ variation to authoritarian personality

Answer 17

If:
- strict and distant parents
- punishment for minor reasons
- rigid and absolute ideologies and values about society

Question 18

What is ‘the F scale’ variation of authoritarian personality

Answer 18

Measures faschism. Identifies authoritarianism through obedience

Question 19

Who developed ‘the F scale’

Answer 19

Adorno

Question 20

What kind of explanation is authoritarian personality

Answer 20

Dispositional

Question 21

What are + evaluation points of authoritarian personality

Answer 21

Research support:
- Elms and Milgram: studied 20 fully obedient original pt’s and found they scored higher on the F scale
- Applications: explains why obedience is only experienced in certain personality types

Question 22

What are - evaluation points of authoritarian personality

Answer 22

• Alternative explanations: agentic state as takes into account situational variables
• Theoretical problems: cause and effect as found by Middendrop and Moloen - less educated are more authoritarian and obedient