Obedience: Situational Explanations Flashcards
What was Milgrams interest in obedience sparked by?
The trial of Eichmann for war crimes.
Who was Eichmann?
- In charge of Nazi death camps and his defence was that he obeying orders.
What did Milgram propose based on Eichmann?
Obedience to destructive authority occurs because someone doesn’t take responsibility and instead believe they are acting for someone else e.g. an agent is someone who acts for or in place of another.
What isn’t an unfeeling puppet?
An agent isn’t an unfeeling puppet - experience high anxiety when they realise what they’re doing wrong but feel powerless to disobey.
What is the opposite of the agentic state?
An autonomous state.
What does autonomy mean?
To be independent/ free so a person in an autonomous state is free to behave according to their own principles and feels a sense of responsibility for their own actions.
What is the shift from autonomy to agency called?
The agentic shift.
When did Milgram suggest the agentic shift occurs?
When a person percieved someone as an authority figure - the authority figure has greater power because they have a higher position in a social hierarchy.
In most social groups when one person is in charge what do others defer to?
The legitimate authority of this person and shift from autonomy to agency.
What did Milgram observe many of his ppts say?
That they wanted to stop but seemed powerless to do so.
Why do people remain in the agentic state?
Binding factors - aspects of the situation that allow people to ignore/ minimise damaging effect of behaviour and thus reduce the moral strain they feel.
What strategies did Milgram propose the individual uses?
Shifting the responsibility to the victim or denying damage.
How are most societies structured?
In a hierarchal way - certain positions hold authority over the rest of us e.g. parents, teachers etc all have authority over us at times and this authority is legitimate (agreed by society).
Why do most people accept that authority figures have to be allowed to exercise social power over others?
To allow society to function smoothly.
What is a consequence of LOA?
Some people are granted power to punish others.
Where do we learn acceptance of LOA?
Childhood, parents and teachers (adults).
When do problems with LOA arise?
When t becomes destructive - charismatic and powerful leaders can use legitimate powers for destructive purposes ordering people to behave in cruel and dangerous ways.
How was destructive authority obvious in Milgram’s study?
When the experimenter used prods to order ppts to behave in ways that went against their consciences.
Evaluation of agentic state: Milgrams study supports obedience
- Most ppts resisted shock at some point and asked questions about the procedure.
- One questions asking whos responsible - once experimenter told them he was they continued quickly with no further objections.
Evaluation agentic shift: doesnt explain research findings about obedience
- Doesn’t explain why a study found 16/18 nurses disobeyed orders from doctors to administer excessive drug doses.
Evaluation legitimacy of authority: useful accounts of cultural differences
- Many studies show countries differ in the degree to which people are obedient.
- E.g. one study found 16% of female Australian ppts went up to 450v.
- However another found a different figure for Germany - 85%.
- Shows some cultures more likely to accept authority as legitimate.
Evaluation of LOA: Can’t explain disobedience in a hierarchy where LOA is clear and accepted
- Nurses in one study were disobedient despite working in a rigidly hierarchal authority structure.
- a significant minority of Milgrams ppts disobeyed despite recognising the experimenters scientific authority.
