Social Influence L8

Question 1

What are the 2 main explanations of obedience?

Answer 1

1. The Agentic State
2. Legitimacy of Authority

Question 2

Agent definition

Answer 2

Someone who acts for or in place for another

Question 3

Who investigated the Agentic State Theory?

Answer 3

Milgram (1974)

Question 4

What are the 2 different ways Milgram suggested people operate in social situations?

Answer 4

1. Autonomic state:
   This is when individuals act independently and are aware of the consequences of their actions. They make decisions knowing they will be held accountable for the consequences
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2. Agentic state:
   This is when a person carries out orders with little personal responsibility. They see themselves under the authority of another person, not responsible for the actions they take. They will often carry out an order without questioning it.

Question 5

Agentic shift definition

Answer 5

The change from an autonomous (independent) state to the agentic state

Question 6

What reason did Milgram suggest as to why individuals remain in the agentic state?

Answer 6

• It is due to binding factors
• These binding factors allow the person to ignore the damaging effects of their behaviour and reduces their ‘moral strain’ by shifting responsibility to the victim (e.g: they could say that the victim was foolish to take part, so it is the victim’s fault instead)
• This helps the individual feel calm and in control because they feel that what they are doing is not their fault and that they are merely agents following orders (the fault lies in the victim and authority figure)

Question 7

When does agentic shift occur?

Answer 7

When a person perceives someone else as a figure of authority who has greater power due to their position in a social hierarchy. Therefore they are willing to obey them

Question 8

How does the agentic state theory apply to Milgram’s electric shock experiment?

Answer 8

• The participants viewed themselves as subordinates of the experimenter not responsible for their own actions
• When the participants were debriefed after the experiment, many reported they knew it was wrong to deliver dangerous shocks, but they felt that they were expected to obey the experimenter (who had greater power)

Question 9

What is a strength of the agentic state theory?

Answer 9

1. It has research support
   - Blass and Schmitt (2001) showed a film of Milgram’s study to some students and asked them who was responsible for harming the learner
   - The students blamed the experimenter rather than the participant
   - They also pointed out that the experimenter was a scientist (at the top of the hierarchy) and therefore had authority
   - Therefore, the participants were merely agents following orders from the scientist (a figure of authority who had greater power)

Question 10

What are 2 weaknesses of the agentic state theory?

Answer 10

1. It does not explain many other research findings
   • It does not explain why some participants did not to obey the authority figure in Milgram’s study
   • It does not explain why one of the nurses in Hofling’s study did not give the drug prescribed by the doctor, who is higher up in the hierarchy than a nurse (in this situation, the nurse should have acted as an agent who obeys the doctor)
   • It does not explain the findings of Rank and Jacobson‘s study where only 2/18 nurses were willing to give the drug prescribed by the doctor
   • Therefore the agentic state theory does not explain why some people who are ‘agents’ still do not obey
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2. Research evidence has disproved the idea that the behaviour of Nazis can be explained in terms of the agentic state

• Mandel (1998) explained an incident involving German Reserve Police Battalion 101 where men obeyed orders to shoot civilians in Poland
• They were not given any direct orders to do so and were told that they could do other duties if they preferred (they were in the autonomic state as they were able to make their own decisions)
• The police still preferred to carry out the shootings — this example shows that the agentic state theory doesn’t explain obedience since the police were not acting as agents as they did not have to shoot

Question 11

Why do people obey those with legitimate authority?

Answer 11

1. They trust them
2. They fear punishment

Question 12

What are 2 consequences of legitimate authority?

Answer 12

1. Some people are granted the power to punish others.
   - For example, in society we accept that the police and the courts are allowed to punish criminals.
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2. It can be used for destructive purposes
   - For example, powerful leaders such as Hitler have used their legitimate power destructively (e.g: the holocaust)
   - Destructive authority was shown in Milgram’s study when the experimenter used prods on the participants to administer lethal electric shocks to an innocent learner

Question 13

Who is the legitimate authority figure in Milgram’s study?

Answer 13

• The scientist
• We are taught to have respect for scientists and their white lab coat
• The fact that he worked for Yale university added to his authority

Question 14

What are 3 strengths of legitimate authority?

Answer 14

1. It explains the functioning of a civilised nation as it is essential to have legitimate authority figures in a well-functioning society
   - For example, legitimate authority figures such as the police are needed to prevent crime
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2. It can explain how obedience can lead to real-life war crimes
   - Kelman & Hamilton (1989) argue that the My Lai massacre can be understood in terms of the power of hierarchy of the US army
   - It took place in 1968 during the Vietnam War and 504 civilians were killed & women were gang-raped
   - Soldiers blew up buildings, burnt the village, and killed animals
   - Only one soldier was found guilty and faced charges — his defence was that he was only doing his duty to follow orders
   - This supports the legitimacy of authority theory as the US Army followed orders from their seniors who had authority over them
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3. It explains cultural differences in obedience
   - Kilham and Mann (1974) replicated Milgram’s study in Australia and found that 16% went to full voltage
   - Mantell (1971) replicated Milgram’s study in Germany and found that 85% obeyed and went to full voltage
   - These studies show the cultural differences in perceived legitimacy of authority and how different cultures have different upbringings

Question 15

What is a weakness of legitimate authority?

Answer 15

1. Not all legitimate authority figures should be obeyed
   - Sometimes we will obey a legitimate authority figure because of their status, even if we disagree with their order
   - Milgram’s study showed that people will obey a legitimate authority figure even if obedience led to harm another person
   - A real life example of a legitimate authority figure who has abused their power is Harold Shipman
   - He was a doctor (a trusted authority figure) and he was able to kill over 200 patients without suspicion
   - Therefore a balance must be struck between teaching children to obey authority figures, but also encouraging them to question the orders given just in case they are destructive