Obedience-situational explanations Flashcards
A01
Define Agentic state
A mental state where we feel no personal responsibility for our behaviour because we believe ourselves be be acting as the agent of someone representative of authority
>denys personal responsibility for our own actions & allows us to obey destructive authority figures
Outline Milgrams AGENTIC THEORY
Milgram proposed agentic theory:
obedience to authority occurs because person does not take responsibility for actions
>we act as the agent of someone representative of authority
>denys personal responsibility for our own actions
A01
Outline 2 ways of acting -agentic theory
- Autonomous state
- Agentic state
A01
Define autonomous state
Individuals direct their own behaviour & take responsibiltie for own actions
Define agentic state
Individuals allow someone else to direct their behaviour -pass responsibilities to them
ppl move from autonomous state into agentic state when comfronted with authority figure
A01
define Agentic shift
The shift from autonomy to agency
occurs when somone percieves someone as authority figure-they have great power because have high position in social hierarchy
A01
define Binding factors
Milgram suggested many of his p said they wanted to stop but seemed powerless to , wondered why they remained in agentic state -due to binding factors
- binding factors-aspects of situation that allow a person to minimise damaging effects of behaviour & reduce the ‘moral strain’ they are feeling.
- milgram proposed strategies that individual uses,such as shifting the responsibilites to the victim or deny damage doing to the victims
if we obey an order that goes against our conscious we likely to experience moral strain-which resuts when we do something immortal in order to function as agent of authority
A01-2nd topic page
Outline Legitimacy of authority
Societies are structured in hierarchal way
e.g parents,teachers have authrotiy over us
the authroity they weild is legitimate-agreed upon society
A01
Explain the consequences of legitimacy of authority
some people granted power to punish others
police & court have power to punish others
people are willing to give their independence & hand control of our behaviour over to ppl we trust to exercise their authroity.
A01
explain destructive authroity as a consequence of legitimacy of authority
Problems arise when legitimate authority becomes destructive
powerful leaders use their legitimate powers for destructive purposes, ordering ppl to behave in ways-dangerous
e.g milgrams study experimenter displayed destructive authority when they were using prods to order p to behave in ways that went against their conscience.
The p demonstrated destructive obedience when they acted against their conscience
A03
Research support for agentic state theory–experimenter said hes responsible (Milgram)
Strength
Milgram own study supports role of agentic state in obedience
>most of Milgram’s p resisted giving shock
>p even asked experimenter about procedure, when experimenter said hes responsible for procedure
>P went through with procedure/had no objections
>Showed that when p perceived themselves no longer responsible for own actions acted easier as experimenters agent
A03
Outline Limited explanations for agentic shift -Steve & Jacobson 16/18 nurses
Limitation
Agentic shift does not explain research findings of Steve & Jacobson study
>found16/18 nurses disobeyed doctor orders to increase drugs dosage to patient
>doctor(figure of authority)
>nurse remained atonomous
>suggests agentic shift can account for only some situations
A03
Legitimacy of authority research support from Blass & Schmitt
Strength
Blass & Schmitt showed a film of Milgrams study to students & asked them to identify who they felt was responsible for the harm to the learner.
students blamed experimenter & indicated the responsibility was due to legitimate authority as he seen to be a scientist. They recognised legitimate authroity as cause of obedience , thus supporting this explanation
