social-psychological obedience factors Flashcards
What is the agentic state?
A psychological condition where individuals see themselves as agents executing someone else’s wishes
What does the agentic shift refer to in Milgram’s study?
When participants moved from feeling responsible for their actions to perceiving the experimenter as responsible.
What are binding factors in the agentic state?
Commitment to the experimenter and fear of appearing rude or disobedient.
Why did participants continue administering shocks despite emotional discomfort?
Social pressures and a sense of obligation to the authority figure overrode their personal morals.
What study supports the agentic state theory?
Blass and Schmitt’s (2001) study where students thought the experimenter was responsible for the shocks.
How did Blass and Schmitt’s (2001) study support the agentic state theory?
Participants believed the experimenter had legitimate and expert authority
What is a limitation of the agentic state theory?
It cannot explain why 35% of participants in Milgram’s study disobeyed.
What does the disobedience of 35% in Milgram’s study suggest?
It indicates that factors other than the agentic state influence obedience.
What was the issue with Hofing’s study in relation to the agentic state?
Nurses obeyed without showing moral strain
What does the authoritarian personality theory suggest?
People with an authoritarian personality are more likely to obey authority figures.
How does the authoritarian personality critique the agentic state theory?
It emphasizes personality traits rather than situational factors in explaining obedience.
What traits are common in individuals with an authoritarian personality?
Submissiveness to authority and hostility toward lower-status groups.
How does research by Adorno et al. support the authoritarian personality theory?
It showed that individuals with an authoritarian personality were more prone to obedience.
What follow-up finding by Milgram supports the authoritarian personality theory?
Obedient participants often scored higher on the F-scale
What is the legitimacy of authority?
The perception that an individual holds a rightful position of power.
How does legitimacy of authority affect obedience?
People are more likely to obey when they perceive the authority figure as legitimate.
In Milgram’s study
why did participants obey the experimenter?
How did the location of the study affect obedience in Milgram’s experiment?
When moved to a less prestigious setting
What does the decrease in obedience when the study was moved suggest?
The authority figure’s perceived legitimacy is influenced by the setting.
What real-world event does the legitimacy of authority theory help explain?
The My Lai massacre.
How does the My Lai massacre relate to legitimacy of authority?
Soldiers blindly followed orders from a higher authority
What cross-cultural finding supports the legitimacy of authority theory?
Kilham and Mann (1974) found only 16% obedience in Australia
How did Mantell’s (1971) study support the legitimacy of authority theory?
It found 85% obedience in Germany
What does cross-cultural research on obedience suggest?
Different societies demonstrate different levels of obedience
How does cultural socialization affect obedience?
Cultures may socialize people to be more or less obedient to authority figures.
What does the authoritarian personality theory criticize about the legitimacy of authority theory?
It overlooks personality traits
How does the authoritarian personality theory explain obedience?
People with an authoritarian personality are more likely to obey
How does Milgram’s follow-up research on obedience relate to authoritarian personality?
It found that participants with high obedience levels scored higher on the F-scale
What is the F-scale?
A measure used to assess the level of authoritarian personality traits.
What does the authoritarian personality theory say about obedience and situational factors?
It argues that dispositional factors like personality traits play a more significant role than situational factors.
What criticism does the agentic state theory face regarding the nurses in Hofing’s study?
The nurses obeyed without showing moral strain
What limitation of the agentic state theory does the disobedience in Milgram’s study suggest?
It cannot fully explain why some participants chose not to obey.
How does personality influence obedience according to the authoritarian personality theory?
Individuals with an authoritarian personality are more likely to submit to authority figures.
What is a major strength of the legitimacy of authority theory in explaining obedience?
It provides a useful real-world explanation for phenomena like war crimes and mass violence.
What role does uniform play in the legitimacy of authority?
Uniforms reinforce the perception of legitimacy and authority
What environmental factor in Milgram’s study influenced participants’ obedience?
The prestige and institutional context of Yale University.
How does the authoritarian personality theory differ from the agentic state theory?
It focuses on internal personality traits rather than external social influences like authority figures.
Why is the authoritarian personality theory considered an alternative to the agentic state theory?
It emphasizes dispositional factors
What was the result when Milgram’s study was conducted in less prestigious settings?
Obedience rates dropped
What does the research by Adorno et al. (1950) suggest about obedience?
People with an authoritarian personality are more likely to obey authority figures.
Why might some cultures show higher obedience rates than others?
Cultural norms and socialization practices influence how individuals view authority figures.
What is a key difference between the situational and dispositional explanations of obedience?
Situational explanations focus on external factors
How does Milgram’s study show the importance of legitimacy in authority?
The study’s setting at Yale made the authority figure appear legitimate
What does the authoritarian personality theory say about how people raised in authoritarian families behave?
They are more likely to be obedient to authority figures due to early exposure to strict hierarchical structures.
