Social influence - situational explanations of obedience (Milgram's theories)

Question 1

What research are Milgram’s theories based off?

Answer 1

Milgram’s research into obedience (his shock experiment) + Bickman (1974) uniform field experiment

Question 2

What is the agentic state theory?

Answer 2

• It suggests a person obeys and acts on behalf of an authority figure ‘as an agent’: as result, the person feels no personal responsibility for their actions
• People normally operate in an autonomous state where they feel responsible for their actions but in the agentic state, they no longer feel guilt
• To get from autonomous to agentic state, individual undergoes the agentic shift. To begin with they will feel moral strain (two contradictory urges: to obey authority figure or to obey conscience). Once they’re in the agentic state, this feeling will have disappeared

Question 3

What are binding factors?

Answer 3

They explain why people stay in the agentic state. They’re aspects of the situation that allow the individual to ignore or minimise damaging effect of their behaviour and reduce moral strain

Question 4

Example of agentic state in Milgram’s study?

Answer 4

When ppts. were reminded they had responsibility for their actions, almost none were prepared to obey. In contrast, ppts. who had refused to continue actually went on if the experimenter took responsibility

Question 5

What is the legitimacy of authority theory?

Answer 5

Suggests individuals are more likely to follow orders when they’re given from a person who has genuine authority, which can be legally or morally accepted.

Question 6

What can legitimacy of authority figures be increased by?

Answer 6

Uniform and the fact they’re able to punish others

Question 7

How do societies support legitimacy of authority figures?

Answer 7

Societies are hierarchical and people accept others have more/different/stronger responsibilities. Children are socialised from a young age to be more (or less) responsive to authority figures, and generally this allows society to function

Question 8

What other aspects can legitimacy of authority refer to?

Answer 8

Setting (location) or system - e.g an institution

Question 9

What is meant by destructive authority?

Answer 9

Charismatic and powerful leaders can use their legitimate powers for destructive purposes. Milgram represented this with the prods