Explanations for obedience - 16 marks Flashcards
Define agentic state
We fail to take responsibility because we believe we are acting on behalf of an authority figure
Give an example of agentic state
Adolf Elchman - charged for being head of Nazi death camp and only defence was “only following orders”
What is autonomous state
To be independent or free
What is the agentic shift
Shift from autonomy to agency
What is diffused responsibility
Shifting responsibility to somebody else
What is moral strain
Feeling uncomfortable/distressed as a consequence of going against your conscience and doing something you know to be wrong - consequence of agentic state
In what study did pt’s experience moral strain
Milgram
What are the defence mechanisms to cope with moral strain
Repression - involves keeping certain thoughts, feelings, or urges out of conscious awareness
Denial - seen by Nazi soldiers who denied the holocaust ever happened
What type of explanation is the agentic state
Situational
What is socialisation
Brought up to recognise and obey those with higher legitimate authority
What is the social hierarchy
People in certain positions hold authority over the rest of us
What are + evaluation points for explanations of obedience
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
Define authoritarianism
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
What is the ‘might is right’ variation of authoritarian personality
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
Who devised the ‘might is right’ variation of authoritarian personality
Adorno
What is the ‘personality traits’ variation to authoritarian personality
Traits:
- respect and submissive to authority figures
- rigid beliefs and conventional values
- hostility towards other groups
- intolerance of ambiguity
What is the ‘upbringing’ variation to authoritarian personality
If:
- strict and distant parents
- punishment for minor reasons
- rigid and absolute ideologies and values about society
What is ‘the F scale’ variation of authoritarian personality
Measures faschism. Identifies authoritarianism through obedience
Who developed ‘the F scale’
Adorno
What kind of explanation is authoritarian personality
Dispositional
What are + evaluation points of authoritarian personality
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
What are - evaluation points of authoritarian personality
- 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
