social psychological factors

Question 1

agentic state explanation (Milgram):

when we act on behalf of someone else

Answer 1

• obedience to destructive authority happens when people act as an agent for others
• the agentic state has no feeling or responsibility for their actions

Question 2

agentic state explanation (milgram):

opposition is autonomous state

Answer 2

• autonomy means to be free and independent

- these people follow their own principles and are responsible

Question 3

agentic state explanation (Milgram):

agentic shift

Answer 3

• the shift from autonomy to being an agent

- happens when we perceive someone else as an authority figure because of position in the hierarchy

Question 4

agentic state explanation:

binding factors

Answer 4

• aspects of a situation that allows people to ignore the damaging effects of their behavior
• this can be shifting responsibility or denying the damage

Question 5

the legitimacy of authority explanation:

obey those at top of the social hierarchy

Answer 5

• most societies have hierarchies
• have authority over the rest of us
• parents, teachers, police, bouncers

Question 6

the legitimacy of authority explanation:

authorities have legitimacy through societies agreement

Answer 6

• authority is legitimate as its agreed by society

- agree because it allows society to function smoothly

Question 7

the legitimacy of authority explanation:

authority figures and power to punish

Answer 7

• some granted the power to punish others
• we give up some independence to people we trust to exercise authority
• learn authority from parents and teachers

Question 8

the legitimacy of authority explanation:

some leaders use legitimate power for destructive reasons

Answer 8

• history shows leaders like Hitler and Stalin use legitimate authority destructively
• order people to behave callously and dangerously

Question 9

positive evaluation of agentic state:

research support

Answer 9

• bass showed students a film of Milgram’s study and asked who was to blame for learners suffering
• blamed experimenter rather than a teacher because he was top of the hierarchy and had expert authority (scientist)
• students recognize legitimate authority as the cause

Question 10

limitation of agentic state:

cant account for the behavior of the nazi’s

Answer 10

• mandel described a German police battalion who shot civilians in Poland
• did this even though not ordered to do so (could have been assigned other duties)
• challenges agentic because they weren’t powerless to obey

Question 11

the strength of legitimacy of authority:

can explain real life obedience

Answer 11

• kelman and Hamilton suggest a massacre in the Vietnam war was explained by power hierarchy of US army
• the army had authority from the government -assumed orders given by top of hierarchy was legal like killing and raping
• the explanation is able to give reasons why destructive obedience is committed