Obedience: Agency theory Flashcards
What is agency theory?
A social psychological theory that explains how individuals act in situations where they are expected to make decisions on behalf of another person or entity
Who introduced agency theory?
Milgram (1973)
Is agency theory situational or dispositional?
Situational
Agency theory suggests humans have two mental states:
Autonomous state and agentic state
Define ‘autonomous state’
When an individual acts voluntarily under their own free will and takes responsibility
Define ‘agentic state’
When an individual surrenders their free will to an authority figure and carries out any actions they command and assumes that responsibility passes onto them
Define ‘agentic shift’
The process of leaving the autonomous state and entering the agentic state
Define ‘moral strain’
The feeling that can occur when an individual disagrees with the orders that are given by an authority figure, which often goes against their conscience
Define ‘differed responsibility’
Putting the blame / responsibility of the consequence of their actions onto someone else
- e.g blaming authority
Define ‘scapegoating’
A psychological defence mechanism of denial through projecting responsibility and blame onto others
What did Milgram suggests causes the agentic state?
We are socialised into developing the agentic state during childhood
How are we socialised into giving up our autonomy?
Punishment for undesirable behaviour
- Getting grounded for doing something wrong / not listening to a parent
How does agency theory explain Milgram’s findings?
- Ppts went through the agentic shift as they followed orders given by an authority figure
- Ppts were put under moral strain due to administering shocks; caused sweating, trembling, stuttering and nervous laughter
- Ppts differed the responsibility onto the experimenter as a defence mechanism to rationalise what they were doing
What is a strength of agency theory?
Milgram (1963) - PEECA
P - Milgram’s 1963 obedience study supports agency theory
E - For example, he found that 65% of ppts followed orders given by an authory figure and continued to 450V
E - Therefore, this shows that ppts were in the agentic state as they carried out orders given by authority, as they believed that the experimentor (authority) would take responsibilty
CA - However, the study has low credibility. Only 65% of ppts obeyed and continued to 450V so therefore agency theory does not account for the remaining 35% who were not in the agentic state
What is a strength of agency theory?
Holfling (1966) - PEEIA
P - Hofling’s (1966) study supports agency theory
E - Nurses were asked over the phone by a doctor to administer a lethal dose of a drug to a patient and 95% obeyed and followed instructions.
E - Therefore, this suggests that the nurses were in the agentic state and seen the doctor as a legitimate authority figure
P - Furthermore, the study has high validity
E - A field experiement was used where the environment was natural to nurses where they were used to giving drugs to patients
E - Therefore, this reflects their behaviour in a real life situation, giving credibility to the 95% who obeyed.
