S Explanations for Obedience

Question 1

What is the autonomous state?

Answer 1

A state where an individual is free to behave according to their own principles and feels a sense of responsibility for their actions

Question 2

What is the agentic state?

Answer 2

A state where an individual feels no personal responsibility for their behaviour
They believe they are acting for an authority figure (as their agent) and this frees us from any consequences

Question 3

What is the agentic shift?

Answer 3

The shift from the autonomous state to the agentic state

Question 4

What are binding factors?

Answer 4

Aspects of the situation that allow the person to ignore or minimise the damaging effect of their behaviour and reduce the moral strain they may feel

Question 5

What is legitimacy of authority?

Answer 5

An explanation of authority which suggests that we are more likely to obey people who have authority over us

Question 6

What is destructive authority?

Answer 6

Where legitimate authority becomes destructive or corrupt

Question 7

What cross cultural studies support this explanation?

Answer 7

• Meeus and Raajmakers (1986)
• Male and female dutch participants
• Ordered participants to say mean things in an interview to a confederate (who was desperate for a job)
• 90% of participants obeyed
• In a variation, when the person giving orders was absent, obedience decreased

Question 8

What limitations are there for this explanation?

Answer 8

• Orne and Holland (1968)
• Experiment may have been subject to demand characteristics
• e.g Milgram’s uniform variation

Question 9

What research evidence supports this explanation?

Answer 9

Bickman (1974)
Field experiment in New York City
Had 3 confederates dress in different uniform: suit, security guard and a milkman
Asked members of the public to pick up litter off the floor
It was found that people were 2x more likely to obey the security guard
Still carries ecological validity that Milgram’s experiment lacked