L7.1 - Agentic State (situational explanation)

Question 1

Define agentic state

Answer 1

Losing autonomy and not following their own conscience, as they act on behalf of an authority figure, believing they’re not responsible

Question 2

Describe agentic shift

Answer 2

Believe their authority figure is responsible for their actions and their consequences

Question 3

Describe gradual commitment

Answer 3

Orders seeming harmless and authority figure is trustworthy at first but orders slowly get more aggressive

Question 4

Describe psychological buffers

Answer 4

Being unable to see consequences of actions

Question 5

Why do people go into agentic state?

Answer 5

Maintain positive self-image

Doesn’t matter if behaviour is negative as they’re not responsible

Question 6

Why won’t people break agentic state?

Answer 6

Don’t want to anger the authority figure and appear arrogant

Question 7

Advantage related to proximity

Answer 7

Less likely to shock when could see consequences
Mr Wallace and participant in the same room
Prevented agentic state

Question 8

• related to Milgram

Answer 8

35% didn’t shock to maximum even when not in the same room as Wallace

Question 9

Advantage related to Milgram experimenter

Answer 9

Participants asked who’s responsible for consequences of Wallace
When experimenter said they’re responsible = less obedience
Need to lose feeling of responsibility