Explanations for obedience

Question 1

2 explanations

Answer 1

• agentic state
• legitimacy of authority

Question 2

agentic state

Answer 2

can deny personal responsibility as we’ve been ordered to behave in this way or we can shift responsibility onto the orderer

Question 3

agentic state - why?

Answer 3

SELF IMAGE
- helps maintain a + one and remain guilt free
BINDING FACTORS
- situational factors explain it like social etiquette & shifting responsibility to victim

Question 4

EVALUATION - agentic state negative

Answer 4

• M claimed we shift between agentic & autonomous but in the holocaust, german doctors were shown to have a gradual & irreversible change
• lifton = doctors went from caring profeshs to carrying out vile & evil experiments

Question 5

EVALUATION - agentic state positive

Answer 5

RESEARCH SUPPORT
- M = if they asked ‘who is responsible if mr wallace is harmed’ E would say he was then they’d complete the experiment with no further objections

Question 6

legitimacy of authority

Answer 6

• authority figures must have social power over us, usually the power to punish - have to percieve them as genuine to follow their orders
• society has agreed on who holds authority

Question 7

legitimacy of authority - why?

Answer 7

ROLE OF INSTITUTE
- within some sort of institutional structure
ROLE OF UNIFORM
- symbol of status & authority

Question 8

EVALUATION - leg of authority negative

Answer 8

CULTURAL VARIATIONS
- study in aus = 16% of women went to 450V
- study in germany = 85% went to 450V

Question 9

EVALUATION - leg of authority positives

Answer 9

REAL LIFE APPLS
- military training reinforced by structure of their authority = ranks, privileges, saluting
- explains justification for the harming of others
AIRCRAFT EXAMPLES
- tarnow (2000) = 1978-90 - 19/37 incidents where co-pilot depended on cap’s authority & didn’t question risky actions