explanations of obedience Flashcards
2 main explanations of obedience
the agentic state
legitimacy of authority
agentic state theory
obedience to authority occurs because a person DOESN’T take RESPONSIBILITY
- acting as an AGENT : someone who acts IN PLACE for ANOTHER
- proposed by Milgram
2 different ways people operate in social situations (according to Milgram)
when acting as INDEPENDENT individuals, people are AWARE of the CONSEQUENCES
- know they’ll be held ACCOUNTABLE for their actions
- AUTONOMIC STATE
when in AGENTIC STATE, individual sees themselves as under the AUTHORITY of ANOTHER
- NOT RESPONSIBLE for the actions they take
- often will carry out an order without question (in this state)
what is the agentic shift?
change from autonomous state to the agentic state
Milgram suggested that agentic shift occurs when …
a person perceives someone else as a FIGURE OF AUTHORITY
- other person has GREATER POWER because of their position in a SOCIAL HIERARCHY
binding factors
the reason an individual remains in the agentic state
these binding factors include aspects of the situation that allow the person to IGNORE the DAMAGING EFFECTS of their behaviour
- reduce ‘moral strain’
- shifting responsibility to the VICTIM
- helps them feel calm and in control - they’re merely agents following orders
how did Milgram apply the agentic state theory to his own study?
argued pps saw themselves as SUBORDINATE of the experimenter
- not responsible for their own actions
- when pps were debriefed, they said they knew it was wrong (giving electric shocks), but they felt they were expected to obey the experimenter
strength of agentic state explanation (theory makes sense and has …)
the theory actually makes sense and has RESEARCH SUPPORT
- Blass and Schmitt (2001) showed a film of M’s study to students and asked them who was responsible for harming the learner
— students BLAMED the EXPERIMENTER (not the participant)
- students recognised the experimenter was a scientist - top of hierarchy, so had AUTHORITY
— pps were merely AGENTS and following orders
weakness of agentic state explanation (nurse)
theory does NOT explain many other research findings - why some pps did NOT obey in M’s study
- doesn’t explain why one of the nurses in Hofling’s study didn’t give the drug
— doctor = higher in hierarchy, nurse = agent BUT one nurse didn’t obey
- not explaining why people who are agents STILL DON’T OBEY
limitation of agentic state explanation (shooting)
research evidence has REFUTED the idea that Nazi’s behaviour can be explained in terms of the agentic state
- Mandel (1998) explained one incident - men obeyed orders to SHOOT civilians
— (German Reserve Police Battalion)
— the men weren’t given any DIRECT orders to do so, told they could do OTHER duties if they preferred
— police CHOSE to carry out the shootings
- police weren’t acting as agents, but still chose to
— agentic state theory doesn’t explain obedience
legitimate authority
people in certain positions hold AUTHORITY over the rest of us
- eg parents, teachers, police
- we’re SOCIALISED to obey certain authority figures from childhood
- refers to amount of SOCIAL POWER held by person giving orders
- we’re taught we should obey ppl w legitimate authority because we TRUST them, or because we FEAR PUNISHMENT
one of the consequences of this legitimacy of authority is that …
some people are granted the POWER TO PUNISH others
- eg police and courts allowed to punish criminals
legitimate authority in Milgram’s study
the scientist
- we’re taught to have respect for scientists
what are often a symbol of legitimate authority?
UNIFORMS
- explains Bickman’s study - ppl more likely to obey orders from a stranger wearing a uniform
when does legitimate authority become a problem?
when it becomes DESTRUCTIVE
- eg powerful leaders like Hitler use their legitimate powers for destructive purposes
- M’s study - experimenter used prods on pps to administer lethal shocks to an innocent learner
strength of legitimate authority (society)
explains the FUNCTIONING of a CIVILISED NATION
- we need to have legitimate authority figures in a well functioning, ordered society
- eg LA figures like police help prevent crime - without them, society wouldn’t function well
also, explains how obedience can lead to REAL-LIFE WAR CRIMES
- My Lai Massacre
My Lai Massacre
- Kelman and Hamilton (1989) argue the My Lai massacre can be understood in terms of the power of the hierarchy of the US army
- took place in 1968 during the Vietnam war
— 504 civilians killed, women were gang raped, solders blew up buildings, burnt the village, killed animals etc - only ONE soldier found GUILTY and faced charges
— his defence was that he was only doing his DUTY to FOLLOW ORDERS - shows how legitimacy of authority theory works in REAL LIFE
strength of legitimate authority theory (culture)
EXPLAINS CULTURAL DIFFERENCES in obedience
- eg Kilham and Mann (1974) replicated M’s study in Australia
- found 16% went to full voltage
- BUT, Mantell (1971) replicated M’s study in germany
- found 85% obedience rate
- diff. cultures have diff. upbringings thus strengthening the legitimacy of authority explanation
— showed how cultural differences in perceived legitimacy of authority
weakness of legitimacy of authority (??)
not ALL legitimate authority figures should be OBEYED
- sometimes, we’ll obey the LA figure because of their status even if we DISAGREE with the order
- M’s study showed ppl will obey a LA figure, even if obedience led to HARM to another person
Harold Shipman - legitimate authority
- doctor : trusted, justified authority figure
- killed over 200 patients
suggests a balance must be struck between TEACHING children to OBEY authority
- but also encourage them to sometimes QUESTION the orders
- just in case the orders are destructive
- should question LA if they are making UNETHICAL demands
- (weakness of LA)
authoritarian personality
DISPOSITIONAL explanation
- Adorno (1950)
- claims an individual’s personality characteristics determine their behaviour
- (not the situational influences in the environment)
authoritarian personality traits (7)
servile towards people of perceived higher status
hostile towards people of lower status
preoccupied w power
inflexible in their beliefs and values
conformist and conventional
likely to categorise people as ‘them’ or ‘us’
dogmatic (intolerant of ambiguity)
makes them MORE OBEDIENT
why did Adorno believe people developed an authoritarian personality?
due to receiving extremely HARSH DISCIPLINE from PARENTS during their upbringing
- usually involving physical punishment
- creates feelings of HOSTILITY directed towards WEAKER others
— cannot fight back, and are therefore safe
- cannot fight against parent - fear them - so are SUBMISSIVE
- extend submissive behaviour to ALL AUTHORITY FIGURES
F scale
Fascism scale
- developed by Adorno (1950)
- questionnaire to masure authoritarian personalities
- pps asked to rate how much they agree w statements
- eg ‘rules are there to be followed, not to be changed’
how many people did Adorno test - F scale
more than 2000 middle class, white Americans
- and their unconscious attitudes towards other racial groups
- found a relationship between AUTHORITARIAN personality and HIGH score on F scale
strength of authoritarian personality
RESEARCH SUPPORT
- link between being obedient to authority and having an authoritarian personality
research support - authoritarian personality - Elms and Milgram (1966)
carried out follow up study
— pps who had taken part in M’s prior studies
- selected 20 obedient pps - delivered the highest shock
- and 20 disobedient pps - refused to shock all the way to 450 V
- each person completed a MMPI scale - measures several personality traits and F scale
— also asked Qs about relationship w their parents, and attitude towards experimenter
- high levels of authoritarian traits among OBEDIENT pps - high F scale score
- obedient more likely to be less close to their fathers & perceive experimenter as admirable
authoritarian personality = STRONG explanation
- link between F scale and obedience
research support - authoritarian personality - Miller (1975) and Altemeyer (1981)
Miller
- found ppl w high F scale scores were more likely to HOLD some ELECTRIC WIRING while completing a test
- shows you’ll OBEY authority even if you HARM YOURSELF
- suggests it may be due to personality
Altemeyer (1981)
- asked pps to SHOCK THEMSELVES if they made a mistake (on a learning task)
- those w high F scale scores were MORE LIKELY to shock themselves
- shows link between authoritarian personality and obedience
weakness for authoritarian personality (germany)
LIMITED EXPLANATION
- doesn’t explain why majority of population in Germany = obedient
- but not all germans can have an authoritarian personality
- alternative explanation = social identity theory
- explains obedience whereby German ppl IDENTIFIED w Nazis
- SIT theory is a MORE RELEVANT explanation
weakness of authoritarian personality (F)
METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS
- based on flawed methodology
- F scale questionnaire has many problems
- eg every question is worded in the same direction
- so, it’s fairly EASY to get a HIGH score
- questions are all CLOSED - no room for explanation
also, adorno interviewed pps about their childhood experiences, BUT he alr knew their score - INTERVIEWER BIAS
