Situational explanations for obedience Flashcards
What is the agentic state?
It is a mental state where we don’t feel responsible for our actions and justify our behaviour by transferring responsibility to an authority figure. It does require the presence of an authority figure and a moral dilemma.
What is the autonomous state?
When we feel free of other influences and so take personal responsibility of our actions
What is the agentic shift?
The move from autonomous to agentic state
What causes an agentic shift?
Social hierarchies where we accept some people have more power authority so when asked to do something against our principles, we are in a psychological dilemma so we shift to ease it.
Why is it difficult to stop being in an agentic state?
Due to binding factors and buffers
What are binding factors?
Feeling an obligation to continue to obey
What are buffers?
Protecting yourself from seeing the consequences of your actions
How do you determine between a legitimate authority and an agentic state?
A moral dilemma must be present for an agentic state?
What is legitimate authority?
Some people have positions of authority because they have been entrusted by society with certain powers
What is destructive obedience?
We may behave in cruel ways if the legitimate authority orders us to do something destructive
What is Hofling’s study?
An unknown doctor telephoned 22 nurses and ask each of them to administer and overdose of an unfamiliar drug and 21 out of 22 obeyed
What is Rank and Jacobson’s study?
Nurses were told in person by a doctor they knew to give an overdose of valium (a familiar drug) and they were able to discuss this so only 2 out of 18 obeyed
What part of Milgram’s study supports the agentic shift?
Many of his particpants resisted but the experimenter said he was responsible for any harm to the learner, particpants continued
