Obedience: Agency Theory (Situational) Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Obedience: Agency Theory (Situational) Deck (12)
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1
Q

Define the ‘autonomous state’.

A

When an individual acts voluntarily under their own free will.

2
Q

Define the ‘agentic state’.

A

When an individual surrenders their free will to an authority figure and carries out any actions they command.

3
Q

Define the ‘agentic shift’.

A

The process of leaving the autonomous state and entering the agentic state through surrendering free will to an authority figure.

4
Q

Define ‘moral strain’.

A

The feeling that can occur when an individual disagrees with the orders that are given, often going against their moral code.

5
Q

Define ‘differed responsibility’.

A

When an individual puts the blame/responsibility of the consequences of their actions carried out in the agentic state on someone else and is often referred to as a ‘scapegoat’.

6
Q

Using what you have learnt in agency theory, explain Milgram’s findings.

A
  • Ppts went through the agentic shift as they were following orders given by an authority figure.
  • They were also put under moral strain due to administering the shocks which is what caused the nervous laughter out of stress.
  • They also differed the responsibility to the experimenter as a defense mechanism to rationalise what they were doing.
7
Q

What did Milgram describe as the ‘organisational mode’?

A

When the agentic state becomes suppressed due to people working as a group.

8
Q

Give an example of how we were socialised as children to give up our autonomy to hierarchy.

A

Obeying authority was reinforced with the use of punishments to stop undesirable behaviour, such as getting grounded for not listening to an instruction given by a parent.

9
Q

Using the acronym ‘EACH’, evaluate 2 ‘evidence’ points.

A

P - Milgram’s (1963) study supports
E - 65% of ppts followed orders given by the authority figure
E - They were in the agentic state
P - Hofling’s (1966) study supports
E - 95% of nurses follow instructions and gave an overdose to the patient
E - They were in the agentic state due to the doctor being seen as a legitimate authority figure

10
Q

Using the acronym ‘EACH’, evaluate 2 ‘how’ points.

A

P - Milgram’s (1963) study has low credibility
E - Only 65% carried out the full 450V
E - Doesn’t account for the 35% who may not have been in the agentic state
P - Hofling’s (1966) study has high validity
E - Used a field experiment where environment was natural to nurses and told them to give their patients an overdose
E - Therefore would reflect their behaviour in a real life situation giving more credibility to the 95% who obeyed

11
Q

Are there any applications?

A

P - Yes
E - It removes prejudice and full accountability of Nazis due to them surrendering their free will to Hitler in the agentic state
E - It shows that the agentic state occurs in every day life

12
Q

Using the acronym ‘EACH’, evaluate 2 ‘criticisms’ points.

A

P - Reductionist
E - It doesn’t explain why 35% of ppts in Milgram’s (1963) study disobeyed giving the highest shock of 450V
E - And so doesn’t give an explanation for disobedience making the theory too simple and not complex enough
P - Deterministic
E - It states that people give up their free will when they enter the agentic state and so are not in control of their own actions
E - However people are more complex than that with individual differences that allow them to make their own decisions