Social influence - Explanations for obedience

Question 1

What is agentic state?

Answer 1

• The state of mind in which the individual believes they don’t have responsibility for their behaviour as they are the agent of an authority figure
• This allows individuals to to commit acts that they personally, morally oppose
• They may feel discomfort as a result of their actions but they feel they are unable to resist the demands of the person in the authority
• This is the opposite to an autonomous state where an individual’s actions are free from control

Question 2

What is legitimacy of authority?

Answer 2

• Individuals accept that other individuals who are higher up in the social hierarchy should be obeyed
• There is a sense of duty to them and these people have the right to punish/harm others such as in the case of the police force and the criminal justice system
• This is learnt in childhood through socialisation processes (Relationships such as parent/child, teacher/student)
• It’s accepted by most people that legitimacy of authority is needed for society to function properly

Question 3

How does Milgram’s study support the idea of agentic state?

Answer 3

• The professor in Milgram’s study occupies a high level in the social hierarchy (They have legitimacy of authority) due to education and respect for science
• The participants often agreed to continue with the shocks after the professor clarified that he was responsible
• This supports the theory of agentic state
• Obedience dropped when the instructor had no uniform, suggesting that their legitimacy of authority decreased due to the lack of formal attire (uniform)

Question 4

How did Bickman’s study support the idea of legitimacy of authority in a real world situation?

Answer 4

• Bickman demonstrated legitimacy of authority in the real world using a field study
• 39% of the public would pick up litter if asked by an investigator dressed as a security guard, but only 14% if dressed as a milkman

Question 5

What is a disadvantage of agentic state displayed by Milgram’s study?

Answer 5

• There are individual differences in the agentic state and respect for legitimacy of authority
• 35% of participants resisted the authority of the experimenter and refused to deliver the 450volt shock to the “Learner” in Milgram’s study

Question 6

What is a real world example of how people can be in an agentic state?

Answer 6

-The agentic state (Following orders) has been used to justify war crimes
(For example: Death camp Nazi Eichmann)

Question 7

What is an agentic shift?

Answer 7

The process of an individual moving from an autonomous state to an agentic state