Social influence: Obedience Explanations Flashcards
What did Adolf eichmann do
- war crimes
- “only obeying orders”
What is agentic state according to Milgram?
- Obedience to destructive authority because
a person does not take responsibility as they believe they are acting for someone else
What is autonomous state?
- Free to behave according to their own principles
- Being independent/free
What is agentic shift according to Milgram?
- move from autonomy to agentic state
- Occurs when a person perceives someone else as an authority figure that have greater power and have a higher position in the social hierarchy
What are binding factors according to Milgram?
- The reason why participants remain in the agentic state
- They are the are aspects of the situation that allow the person to minimise the damaging effect of their behaviour and reduce the ‘moral strain’ they are feeling
What is legitimacy of authority?
People in positions hold authority over those below them.
- It is said that authority is agreed by society and
- allows society to function smoothly.
What is destructive authority? (legitimacy of authority)
- When legitimate authority become destructive by ordering people to behave in cruel and dangerous ways.
How did destructive authority occur in Milgram’s study?
The experimenter used procedure to order participants to behave against their consciences.
What did Adorno do? (dispositional explanation)
- different ideas compared to Milgram
- obedience as a psychological disorder (because of the personality of the individual)
What is authoritarian personality?
- shows an extreme respect for authority
- view society as ‘weaker’ than it once was
What is this an example of?
- Show contempt for those of inferior status
- Inflexible outlook on the word
Authoritarian personality
Origins of the authoritarian personality
Forms from harsh parenting - strict parents and high criticism
Experiences in childhood - fears of punishment
