Obedience :Situational Explanations

Question 1

what are teh two situational explanations

Answer 1

agentic state

legitimacy of authority

Question 2

what was milgram interst in obedience sparked by

Answer 2

adolf eichmann in 1961 for war crimes

Question 3

eichmann had been in charge of

Answer 3

nazi death camps

Question 4

what was eichmann defence for being in charge od nazi death camps

Answer 4

he was only obeying orders

Question 5

eichmann defence lead to milgram proposing the idea that-
obedience to destructive authority occurs as

Answer 5

as person doesnt take responsbility

instead they belieive they are acting for someone else - i.e agent

Question 6

agent is

Answer 6

someone who acts for/in place of another

Question 7

an agent isn’t an

Answer 7

unfeeling puppet

Question 8

agents experience what when tehy realise what theyre doin is wrong

but

Answer 8

high anxiety
feel pwoerless to disobey

Question 9

opposite of agentic state is

Answer 9

autonomous state

Question 10

autonomy means

Answer 10

being indepdnendt or free

Question 11

a person in autonomus state is

Answer 11

free to to behave according to own prinicples

Question 12

what do autonomus people feel about their own actions

Answer 12

sense of repsomsibility

Question 13

shift from autonomy to agency is called

Answer 13

agentic shift

Question 14

milgram proposed agentic shift occurs when a person percieves

Answer 14

someone else as authority figure

Question 15

authority figures have greater power becuase

hint: hierachy

Answer 15

got higher position in social hierachy

Question 16

in most socila groups when one person is in charge what do the others do 2 marks

Answer 16

defer to the legitimate authority of this person

and shift from autonomy to agency

Question 17

what did milgram observe about pt in shock xp

Answer 17

many of them wanted to stop but seemed powerless to do so

Question 18

why did pt remain in agentic state

Answer 18

binding factors

Question 19

what are binding factors 3 marks

Answer 19

aspects of teh situation

allowing the person to minimise the damaging effect of their behaviour

and thus reduce moral strain therye feeling

Question 20

what are the 2 startegies milgram proposed indisviduals use (binding factords?)

Answer 20

shifting responsibility to victim - he was foolish to vokunteer

denying damage they were doing to the victims

Question 21

agentic state definition

5 marks

Answer 21

mental state where we feel no personal responsibility for our behaviour

as we believe acting for an authority figure

freeing us from demands of our conscience and allows us to obey even destructive authority figures

Question 22

most societes structured in a

Answer 22

hierachal way

Question 23

hierachy means people in certain positions …

Answer 23

hold authority over the rest of us

Question 24

give example of authortity figure

Answer 24

parent

teacher

police

Question 25

authority certain figures wield is legitimate in the sense that

Answer 25

it is agreed by society

Question 26

what do most of us acept in society about authroity figures

Answer 26

have to be allowed to excersise social power over otehrs

Question 27

why do most of us accept authority figures have to be allowed to exercise social power over others

Answer 27

allows society to function smoothly

Question 28

a consequence of legitimacy of authoruty is

Answer 28

some people granted pwoer to punish others

Question 29

we generally agree that who has got power to punish wrong doers

Answer 29

police and court

Question 30

we are willing to give up some independence and to hand control of our behaviour over to people who

Answer 30

we trust to excersise their authority appropriatley

Question 31

where do we learn acceptance of legitimacy of authority from

Answer 31

childhood , from parents initially and then teachers and adults generally

Question 32

define legitimacy of authority

Answer 32

expl of obedience suggesting were more likely to obey people who we percieve to have authority over us

this authority is legitimate by authority position of power in social hierarchy

Question 33

problems arise when in LOA

Answer 33

When it becomes destructive

Question 34

history has shown us too often that

Answer 34

charismatic and powerufl leaders such as hitelr can use power for destructive purposes

ordering people to behave in cruel and and dangerous ways

Question 35

when was destructive authority obcious in milgram study

Answer 35

experimetner used prods to order pt to behave in ways that went against their consciences

Question 36

STRENGHT AS - RESEARCH SUPPORT

Milgram own x x role of AS in obedience

most pt x giving shocks at some point and x experimetner questions about x

e.g who x if learner is x, experimetner replied x x and they proceeded without x x

showing once pt x they were no longer x for own behaviour they acted more x as exp x as milgrma suggested x his x

Answer 36

Milgram own studies supprot role of AS in obedience

most pt resisted giving shocks at some point and asked experimetnerquestions about procedure

e.g who responsible if learner is harmed experimetner replied i am and they proceeded without further bjections

showing once pt percieved they were no longer responsible for own behaviour they acted more easily as exp agent as milgrma suggested validating his thoery

Question 37

LIMITAITON AS - LIMITED EXPLANATION

Doesnt explain many x findings about x

e.g study whihc x/x nurses x orders from a doctor to admin x dosage to a pt
doctors x an x figre

but most nurses remained x as did many of milgram pt

suggesting at x agentic shift can only acount for x situations of obedience x his x

Answer 37

Doesnt explain many research findings about obedience

e.g study whihc 16/18 nurses disobeyed orders from a doctor to admin excessive dosage to a pt
doctors obviously an authority figre

but most nurses remained autonomous as did many of milgram pt

suggesting at best agentic shift can only acount for some situations of obedience limiting his explanation

Question 38

a03 - describes rather than explains obedience

Another problem is that the theory x
rather than x obedience. For example,
the theory states people obey because they are
agents of authority, but it doesn’t actually state
x the agentic shift takes x and what the
x involved are or how it could be
x. Therefore this makes it x to
carry out x to test the x, which
x its x.

Answer 38

Another problem is that the theory describes
rather than explains obedience. For example,
the theory states people obey because they are
agents of authority, but it doesn’t actually state
HOW the agentic shift takes place and what the
processes involved are or how it could be
measured. Therefore this makes it harder to
carry out research to test the theory, which
weakens its validity.

Question 39

STRENGTH OF LOA - EXPLAINS CULTURAL DIFF

it’s a useful account of cultural diff in obedience

many studies show x differ in x to which people obedient to authority
e.g researchers found only x% of x women went up to x volts in a x style study

but another researcher found diff figure for german pt x%

showing in some cultures x is likely to be accepted as x and entitiled to demand x from individuals

this x ways that x societies are x and how children are raised to x authoruty figures

Answer 39

it’s a useful account of cultural diff in obedience

many studies show countries differ in degree to which people obedient to authority
e.g researchers found only 16% of aussie women went up to 450 volts in a milgram style study

but another researcher found diff figure for german pt 85%

showing in some cultures authority is likely to be accepted as legitimate and entitiled to demand obedience from individuals

this reflects ways that diff societies are structured and how children are raised to percieve authoruty figures

Question 40

a03 - loa - other explanatinos may be more effective

A problem is that other explanations may be more x in explaining x people obey.
For instance,
x x (also known as the ‘foot in the door technique’) suggests that once people obey to
a x, seemingly x request, they then find it x x to refuse to carry out more x
x x. Therefore we cannot x that having a x authority figure is the only
reason that people x.

Answer 40

A problem is that other explanations may be more effective in explaining why people obey. For instance,
gradual commitment (also known as the ‘foot in the door technique’) suggests that once people obey to
a trivial, seemingly harmless request, they then find it more difficult to refuse to carry out more serious
escalating requests. Therefore we cannot assume that having a legitimate authority figure is the only
reason that people obey.

Question 41

Legitimacy of Authority can explain x x x : Kelman and x (1989) suggest the x x
Massacre is explained by the x x of the US Army. The army has
x recognised by the US x and the x. Soldiers assume orders given by the hierarchy
to be x – even orders to x, x and destroy x. The legitimacy explanation is x to give
x why destructive obedience is x.

Answer 41

Legitimacy of Authority can explain real-life obedience: Kelman and Hamilton (1989) suggest the My Lai
Massacre (during the Vietnam War) is explained by the power hierarchy of the US Army. The army has
authority recognised by the US Government and the law. Soldiers assume orders given by the hierarchy
to be legal – even orders to kill, rape and destroy villages. The legitimacy explanation is able to give
reasons why destructive obedience is committed.