Explanations of Obedience Flashcards
What are the 2 main explanations of obedience?
Agentic State Theory
Legitimacy of Authority
What is an “agent”?
Someone who acts for/in place for another
What are the two ways people act in social situations according to Milgram (AST)?
Autonomic State
Agentic state
What do people do in the autonomic state?
Aware of consequences of actions and make decisions knowing possible consequences
Act as independent individuals
What does a person do in the Agentic State?
Person carries out orders with little personal responsibility
An individual session themselves as under authority of another - no responsibility
Often carries out orders without question
What is an Agentic shift?
Change from autonomous state to the Agentic State
Who developed the Agentic State Theory?
Milgram (1974)
What did Milgram suggest happens when a person undergoes an Agentic Shift?
A person perceives someone else as a figure of authority
The other person has greater power due to their position in the social hierarchy
How do people stay in the Agentic State (according to Milgram)?
BINDING FACTORS
What are the binding factors?
Parts of situations allows person to ignore damaging effect of their behaviour - reduces “moral strain”
Feeling and shifting responsibility to victim - their fault for volunteering
Helps a person feel calm as they feel that what they are don’t isn’t their fault - merely agents following orders
How did Milgram relate the Agentic State Theory to his experiment?
Argued the participants were agents of the experimenter and held no responsibility for their actions
What are the strengths of the Agentic State Theory?
Research support - Bass & Schmidt (2001)
What did Bass and Schmidt (2001) do?
Showed Milgram’s study to students
Asked who was to blame
Students blamed experimenter - not participant
Students indicated experimenter was scientists and therefore higher in social hierarchy
What are the weaknesses of the Agentic State Theory?
Doesn’t support research findings (35% & Hofling)
Research evidence shows Nazi actions can’t be explained in terms of Agentic State - (Mandel 1998)
How does the Agentic State Theory not support other research findings?
35% of people in Milgram’s study didn’t shock all the way
A nurse in Hofling’s study didn’t obey
Rank & Jacobson’s study - only 2/18 nurses obeyed
All people are clear “agents” but didn’t obey
What did Mandel (1998) find about actions of Nazis that couldn’t be explained in terms of “Agentic State”?
Nazis obeyed orders to shoot civilians in Poland
The men weren’t told to do it - could do other duties
Men still chose to shoot
What is Legitimacy of Authority?
Obeying an individual as they have signs of authority over you
How is legitimacy of authority taught in daily lives?
Society is structured in a hierarchal manner - police, teacher and parents.
We are socialised to obey certain authority figures as we trust them or fear punishment
What is the problem with Legitimacy of Authority?
Some people have the power to punish others
Destructive authority
What is destructive authority?
When legitimate authority is used and becomes destructive - Holocaust or Milgram’s study
What 3 factors affect legitimacy of authority?
Uniform
Proximity
Location
What are the strengths of Legitimacy of Authority?
We need legitimate authority for a functioning society
It explains how obedience can lead to war crimes (My Lai Massacre)
Explains cultural differences in obedience
How can Legitimacy of Authority explain how obedience can lead to war crimes?
Kelman and Hamilton (1989) argued My Lai massacre can be understood in terms of US army power.
- many people killed and raped
- building blown up and animals killed
Only 1 soldier found guilty - said he only “following orders” which was his duty
How does legitimacy of authority explain cultural differences in obedience?
Kilham and Mann (1974) - only 16% AUSTRALIAN people shocked all they way in Milgram replication
Mantell (1971) - replicated Milgram’s experiment in Germany - 85% obedience rate
Shows cultural differences in perceived legitimacy of authority
Different cultures have different ideas of authority
