Social psychological factors affecting obedience

Question 1

What are social psychological factors

Answer 1

Factors that focus more on the influence of others on an individuals behaviour

Question 2

What are the 2 psychological factors

Answer 2

Agentic state and legitimacy of authority

Question 3

What is an agentic state

Answer 3

Individual carrying out the orders of authority, acting as their agent

Question 4

What is an agent

Answer 4

Someone acting in place/for another individual

Question 5

What is an autonomous state

Answer 5

Being independent/having responsibility for your actions

Question 6

What is an agentic shift

Answer 6

Shifting from an autonomous state(independency) to an agentic state

Question 7

What are binding factors

Answer 7

Factors that reduce moral strain on agents allowing them to continue as an agent without feeling responsible for their actions

Question 8

Example of research showing an agentic state

Answer 8

One of Milgram’s variations

A confederate did the shocks on behalf of the teacher(p’s)

Obedience rose to 92% - Shows the power once the agentic shift occurs and the participant becomes autnonomous/the authority

Question 9

What is legitimacy of authority

Answer 9

Society is structured in a hierarchal way
Some people have more authority than others
Society has accepted the authority using their social power to help things run smoothly
If a person isn’t perceived as an authority, they are less likely to be obeyed
Social power can also be used for destructive purposes

Question 10

Example of research showing legitimacy of authority

Answer 10

Milgram’s location variation reduced legitimacy of authority and therefore obedience to 47.5%
The change caused the researcher to not be perceived as an authority figure

Question 11

A03’s for Social psychological factors affecting obedience

Answer 11

Doesn’t take into account personal differences - Some people may be more or less affected by rules of hierarchal society

Supporting research for agentic state - Blass and Schmitt asking students who is responsible in Milgram’s study. They blamed the experimenter(Counter - conducted on students)

Supporting research for legitimacy of authority - Kelman and Hamilton state that the Vietnam war can be described using the power hierarchy system. Army authority is recognised by the government which makes orders seem legal.

Question 12

Issues and debates for social psychological factors affecting obedience

Answer 12

Nomothetic vs ideographic

Generalises agentic state/legitimacy of authority to all people