obedience: situational explanations ao1 Flashcards
2 explanations of obedience
- agentic state
- legitimacy of authority
Explain legitimacy of authority
Suggests that we are more likely to obey people who we perceive to have authority over us. Authority is perceived to be legimate due to their place in the social hierarchy.
An authority figure is deemed legitmage when …
It’s agreed Upon in society
We learn acceptance of legitimacy of authority ..
Learnt from childhood
From parents .. teachers .. adults generally
Issue w legitimacy of authority
Destructive authority
Explain destructive authority
Ppl (eg hitler) use legitimate authority for destructive reasons
Ordering ppl to behave in dangerous and cruel ways
Explain the agentic state
Mental state where we feel no personal responsibility for our behaviour bc we are acting on behalf of an authority figure (an agent )
What is an agent
Someone who acts in place or for another
They aren’t unfeeling they experience high moral strain
They realise what they are doing is wrong but feel powerless to disobey
Explain autonomous state
When a person behaves according to their own free will and principles
They feel a sense of responsibility for their actions due to freedom
Opposite of agentic state
Autonomous state
How to go from autonomous to an agentic state
Agentic shift
Explain agentic shift
Occurs when a person perceives someone else as an legitimate authority figure
higher up in social hierarchy thus more power
Why do ppl stay in their agentic state
Binding factors
How did milgram come about the concept of binding factors
Observed ppts wanted to stop but seemed powerless
Describe binding factors
Aspects of the situation that allow someone to ignore or minimise damaging effects of behaviour and thus reducing moral strain they feel
