Social Influence Flashcards
Define agentic state
When a person sees themselves as an agent for carrying out the wishes of another person (typically a legitimate authority figure
Define legitimate authority
A person who is perceived to be in a position of social control within a situation
What theory by Milgram explains obedience?
Agency Theory 1973
Describe Agency theory 1973
- Agentic shift brings people into an agentic state from an autonomous state
- In this agent state they place responsibility of actions onto those giving the orders
- Self image plays role in agentic state
- Binding factors plays a role
- Ppts would continue when experimenter took responsibility
How does self image play a role in agentic state?
- People adopt an agentic state in order to maintain a positive self image
- Ppt may evaluate the consequences of actions on self image in autonomous state
- In agentic state ppt doesn’t need to evaluate image against actions as action is no longer their responsibility and so isn’t seen to reflect on their self image
What binding factors may have kept Milgrams ppts in an agentic state?
- Reluctance to disrupt the experiment; ppts have already been paid so may feel obliged to continue
- Pressure of surroundings; experiment took place at a prestigious university, making experimenter seem like legitimate authority
- Insistence of authority figure; told they had to continue
Evaluate agency theory
- Lots of experimental evidence to support theory; Milgrams ppts claimed they wouldn’t have gone so far but we’re just following orders
- Agency theory doesn’t explain why some people are more likely to resist and exhibit independent behaviour - doesn’t account for individual differences
Describe Milgram 1963
- Lab experiment to test factors affecting obedience
- 40 ppts
- Took place at Yale
- Ppts told it was an experiment into how punishment effected learning
- Ppts responded to newspaper adverts
- 2 confederates
- Received payments for attending, didn’t depend on proceeding with experiment
- Every wrong answer got an electric shock, starting at 15 volts and increasing to 450 volts
- Learner made noises of pain at 300 volts
- Teacher gave prods to continue if ppt tried to stop
What debriefing did Milgram 1963 use?
- Questionnaires
- Interviews
- Being reunited with learner
What were the results of Milgram 1963
- 65% of ppts administered shock of 450 volts
- All went to 300 volts with only 12.5% stopping there
Before the experiment what did psychiatrists, college students and colleagues predict?
That few would go beyond 150 volts and only 1 in 1000 would go to full 450 volts
What situational factors did Milgram identify in affecting obedience?
- Presence of allies
- Proximity to victim
- Proximity to authority
- Location of experiment
Milgram found out what about the presence of allies affecting obedience?
When there were 3 teachers (1 ppt and 2 confederates) the real ppt was less likely to obey if the other 2 refuse to obey, allies can Mel it easier to resist
Milgram found out what about the impact of proximity to the learner?
- Obedience dropped to 40% when teacher was in the same room as the learner
- Obedience dropped to 30% when teacher had to out learners hand on the shock plate
Milgram found out what about the impact of proximity to authority on obedience?
When authority figure gave prompts over the phone obedience dropped to 23%
What did Milgram find out about the impact of location on obedience?
When ppt were told experiment was being run by a private company and moved to a set of rundown offices in a nearby town, obedience dropped slightly to 48% - association with prestigious institution removed so obedience dropped
