explanations for obedience

Question 1

what study did these explanations come from

Answer 1

Milgram (1963)

Question 2

what are the 2 explanations

Answer 2

agentic state and legitimacy of authority

Question 3

what is an agentic state

Answer 3

carrying out orders someone else has told you to do so that person will believe they are not directly and personally responsible even if cause cognitive dissonance as it creates a buffer

Question 4

how does this link to milgram

Answer 4

Many participants continued to obey the authority figure (the experimenter) even when they were clearly distressed, because they saw themselves as merely carrying out the orders of the experimenter. They shifted from an autonomous state (acting on their own conscience) to an agentic state (where they felt no personal responsibility for the harm caused).

Question 5

what does legitimacy of authority mean

Answer 5

how credible the figure of authority is. People are
more likely to obey them if they are seen as credible in terms of being morally good/right,
and legitimate (i.e. legally based or law abiding). how credible the figure of authority is.

Question 6

how can you link this to Milgram

Answer 6

In Milgram’s study, the people
saw the experimenter as legitimate as they knew he was a scientist and therefore is likely to
be knowledgeable and responsible - this is called expert authority.
more willing to obey orders that conflict with their personal morals if