Milgrams Agency Theory Of Obedience 1973 LT3 Flashcards
What do the social groups have?
A hierarchal system and some act as agents to those above e.g. Teacher and student.
We live in social groups…
…because it gives us stability.
When does the theory say people start being socialised into the agentic state?
A young age.
What is the autonomous state?
A state where an individual is free thinking and makes own decisions.
What is the agentic state?
When an individual gives up own free will and follows instructions from authority.
Why do people not feel responsible for their actions?
Because they see themselves as an agent of others therefore they’re own consciences are not in control so they feel a lack of power.
When is it argued we become an agent of someone else’s will and follow they’re orders?
In social situations.
What happens if we’re in an agentic state?
Do things we usually wouldn’t do.
By doing things we wouldn’t usually do what might we suffer?
Moral strain. E.g. Milgrams experiment Pps were in agentic state and felt moral strain.
What supporting evidence was there?
Hoflings study (95% of nurses were obedient) however did lack experimental validity.
Real life applications?
Why WW1 soldiers followed orders: agents of higher ranking officers.
Can explain the obedience in the holocaust as beyond what is expected autonomous human beings.
Why does the theory lack ecological validity?
Largely based on Milgram’s experiments which included electric shocks and the setting was also artificial.
Why are there possible negative contributions to society?
People can use it as an excuse for bad behaviour. E.g. A gang member killing someone and saying the gang leader told them too.
Why is the theory reductionist?
It ignores alternative explanations.
Psychodynamic psychologists would explain in terms of defence mechanisms e.g. Denial was common in soldiers in the holocaust.
A weakness is individual differences. Explain?
There was a neglected minority that didn’t obey experimenter.
35% Pps didn’t go up to 450v though M said they were in the same state at the beginning of experiment than those who did obey.
