Obdeience: Agentic State And Legitimacy Of Authority Flashcards

1
Q

Def agentic state

A

When we blame the person giving the order for any negative consequences of our actions, becoming an ‘agent’ of theirs

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2
Q

What opposite to being an agent

A

Autonomous state

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3
Q

Autonomous state def

A

Feeling sense of responsibility for our own actions

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4
Q

Agentic shift

A

The shift from autonomy to agency

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5
Q

The person remains in the agentic state due to

A

Blinding factors

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6
Q

What are blinding factors

A

Aspects of the situation which allow the person to ignore or minimise the damaging effect of their behaviour and reduce the moral strain they’re feeling

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7
Q

Strength of agentic state

A

Research support

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8
Q

Description of strength - research support

A
  • milgrams own studies showed many people will follow instructions seven when acting against their own conscience
  • Blass and Schmitt found people who saw milgrams study blamed the experimenter, indicating they believed ps were agents of authority
  • also supported by many historical events which demonstrate that as a result of social pressure normal people can act in a callous and inhuman way
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9
Q

Negative of agentic state

A

Alternative reasons for why people obey authority figure

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10
Q

Elaboration of weakness - alternative reasons why people obey authoritative figure

A
  • could be due to personality rather than the situation
  • agency theory cannot explain why some people disobey as was shown by one third of ps in original milgrams study
  • reducing validity
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11
Q

Legitimacy of authority suggests

A

We are more likely to obey when whom we see to have accepted power over us

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12
Q

Legitimacy of authority believes society is….

A

Heirachal and we are taught to and accept that some people have power over us and we should hand control of our behaviour over to them

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13
Q

The authority someone has is justified by…

A

The individuals position of power within the social heirachy

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14
Q

Strength of legitimacy of authority

A

Accounts for all cultural differences

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15
Q

Elaboration of strength - accounts for cultural differences

A
  • countries differ
  • eg Germany 85%, Australia 16%
  • some cultures affect legitimacy if authority more than others showing theory can be applied to lots of cultures
  • increasing generalisability
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16
Q

Weakness of legitimacy of authority

A

Can’t explain disobedience

17
Q

Elaboration of weakness - can’t explain disobedience

A
  • research support from Rank and Jakobson studied 18 nurses
  • found 16/8 nurses disobeyed
  • therefore legitimacy of authority doesn’t work all the time
  • poor application making theory less valid