theories of obedience

Question 1

what are the two theories of obediance

Answer 1

agency and social impact

Question 2

what is the agency theory

Answer 2

autonomomus state- people dictate own behaviour and take responsibility, state when we are alone with peers or people we percieve lower in social hierarcy

agentic state - others we view higher in social hierarcy and legitimate authority who direct our behaviour and assume responsibility passes onto them

moral strain - in agentic state, symptoms of anxiety especially when orders can cause harm

social system is hierarchial and passed on genetically - better chance of survival

obedience is inate

Question 3

what are the strengths of the agency theory

Answer 3

• milgrams variations reinforce theory, people are less obdient when no authority
• explains real life situations eg, holocaust and My Lai massacre, individuals in agentic state displacing responsibility, moral strain explains distress of milgrams pts
• Hoffling et al - fake doctor phoned and aked nurses to give drugs that would break guidelines. 21/22 obeyed, agentic state

Question 4

what are the weaknesses to the agentic theory

Answer 4

• negative social implications, trained to manipulate people into agentic state
• does take into account disoisitional reasons eg. personalitity, 35% of milgrams pts didnt obey, other factors
• more a decription than explanation
• Rank and Jacobson, nurse told to overdose, 16/18 disobeyed, autonomous despite doctor authority

Question 5

what is social impact theory

Answer 5

behaviour affected by social situation and opionions we encounter
target = person being impacted
source= influencer

looks at functioning of individuals in presence of others, other people can influence individuals to become more obedient

social forces
- strength-power/authority
-immediacy-proximity. space/time, buffers
-number-number of sources and targets
i=f(SIN)

law of diminishing returns
the effect is like a light bulb in a dark room, one will have a dramatic effect, as more are added the effect is less dramatic, obedience levels may not increase

the division of impact
if there are a large number of targets compared to the number of sources the ability to persuade the aduience to obey is diminished, a lone person is more likely to help someone in need compared to a group as there is a diffusion of responsibility
i=f(1/SIN)

Question 6

what are the strengths of social impact theory

Answer 6

• milgrams variation, two confederates rebelled, 10% of real pts obeyed, many targets to one source, divisional impact, adds validity
• formulas should be generalisable across cultures, benefit cultures to prevent destructive obedience
• Sedikides and Jackson in New York zoo, zoo keeper asking not to lean on rails = 58% obedience, t shirt= 35% obedience, further = lower obedence, obedience higher in smaller groups

Question 7

what are the weaknesses of social impact theory

Answer 7

• zoo study was not able to manipulate number and type of people in each group reducing validity
• Hoffling et al 21/22 nurses obeyed but doctor not immediately present, absence should have reduced effect
• views individuals as passive recievers and doesent count for active nature of social interaction, oversimplifies nature of human interaction, no individaual differences, static theory