Social Influence - Social - Psychological Factors Flashcards
What is the agentic state?
A mental state where we feel no personal responsibility for our behaviour because we believe ourselves to be acting for an authority figure, i.e., as their agent. This frees us from the demands of our consciences and allows us to obey even a destructive authority figure.
What is legitimacy of authority?
Legitimacy of authority – An explanation for obedience which suggests that we are more likely to obey people who we perceive to have authority over us. This authority is justified (legitimate) by the individual’s position of power within a social hierarchy.
How does the agentic state explain obedience?
The agentic state explains obedience by suggesting that individuals see themselves as acting for someone else and not responsible for their own actions. This shift from autonomy to agency occurs because individuals perceive the authority figure as legitimate and binding. Milgram found that participants in his study often asked who was responsible if the learner was harmed. When told it was the experimenter, many continued to obey. Binding factors like denying the damage to the victim helped them stay in the agentic state.
What role does legitimacy of authority play in obedience?
Legitimacy of authority plays a key role in obedience by suggesting that societies are structured hierarchically. People in higher positions, like police officers or teachers, hold legitimate power that others accept. This authority allows individuals to issue orders that others obey, even when harmful, because it is justified by social agreements. This explains destructive obedience, as seen in events like the My Lai Massacre.
What is one evaluation point about research support for the agentic state?
Research support comes from Blass and Schmitt (2001), who showed a film of Milgram’s study to students and asked who they felt was responsible for the harm to the learner. The students blamed the ‘experimenter’ rather than the participant, indicating that responsibility was due to the experimenter’s authority (legitimacy of authority). This supports the agentic state explanation.
What is one evaluation point about cultural differences?
A strength of legitimacy of authority is its cross-cultural support. For example, Kilham and Mann (1974) found only 16% obedience among Australian participants, but Mantell (1971) found 85% obedience in German participants. This reflects how different societies are structured and validates the explanation across cultures.
What is one evaluation point about the agentic state as a limited explanation?
The agentic state explanation does not account for all findings. For example, in Hofling et al.’s study, nurses did not experience high levels of anxiety when handing over responsibility to doctors, as Milgram’s theory predicts. This suggests the agentic state can only partially explain obedience.
What is one evaluation point about real-life applications?Legitimacy of authority helps explain real-life war crimes, such as those in the My Lai Massacre. Soldiers believed they were following legitimate orders from superior officers. This understanding has been applied to prevent future destructive obedience.
