Social Influence- Agentic State & Legitimacy Of Authority

Question 1

What is the agentic state ?

Answer 1

The idea that the individual believes that they do not have responsibility for their behaviour as they are the agents of an authority figure.

Question 2

What key phrase should be used when defining the notion of agentic state?

Answer 2

AGENTS OF AN AUTHORITY FIGURE

Question 3

What is the autonomous state ?

Answer 3

where an individual’s actions and behaviours are free from control

(opposite of agentic state)

Question 4

What does the agentic state allow individuals to do?

Answer 4

allows individuals to commit acts that they morally oppose.

Question 5

How do individuals feel in agentic state?

Answer 5

They will often feel discomfort as a result of their actions but feel they are unable to resist the demands of the person in authority.

Question 6

What concept in learnt in childhood?

Answer 6

Legitimacy of authority

Question 7

How is legitimacy of authority learnt through childhood?

Answer 7

socialisation processes through rs
such as:
Parent/Child
Teacher/Student

Also the idea that some people have the right to punish/harm others e.g:
Police force
Criminal Justice System

Question 8

What are people’s views of legitimacy of authority?

Answer 8

It is accepted by most people that legitimacy of authority is needed in order to allow society to function properly.

Question 9

Evaluative studies for the agentic state and legitimacy of authority

Answer 9

Milgram(1963)
Blass & Smitt

Question 10

Is Milgram (1963) a supporting evaluative study or critical?

Answer 10

Supportive

Question 11

Is Blass & Smitt a supporting evaluative study or critical?

Answer 11

Supportive

Question 12

Milgram (1963)
Supportive evaluation

Answer 12

-rs demonstrates power of legitimate authority w/ scientists/professors/experimenters occupying a high level in the social hierarchy due to extensive education and respect for science as a discipline

It also demonstrates the agentic state as often participants would agree to continue after the experiment clarified that he was responsible

Question 13

Opposing arguments for Milgram’s supporting evaluation of the agentic state and legitimacy of authority

Answer 13

35% of participants resisted the authority of the experimenter and refused to deliver the 450 volts to the ‘learner’ in Milgram’s experiment.

If the agentic state was true the Ps would’ve given the full shock

Question 14

Blass & Smitt
(supporting)

Answer 14

-demonstrated the strength of the idea of legitimacy of authority in society , as when shown videos, of Milgram’s study many people placed the responsibility for the shocks on the experimenter not the participant

Question 15

More evaluation

Answer 15

-There have been many cases in History that have demonstrated the negative consequences when powerful individuals use the agentic state to commit terrible war crimes

E.G-
-Nazi in charge of death camps, Eichmann claimed he was solely following orders