explanations of obedience Flashcards

1
Q

2 main explanations of obedience

A

the agentic state
legitimacy of authority

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2
Q

agentic state theory

A

obedience to authority occurs because a person DOESN’T take RESPONSIBILITY
- acting as an AGENT : someone who acts IN PLACE for ANOTHER
- proposed by Milgram

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3
Q

2 different ways people operate in social situations (according to Milgram)

A

when acting as INDEPENDENT individuals, people are AWARE of the CONSEQUENCES
- know they’ll be held ACCOUNTABLE for their actions
- AUTONOMIC STATE

when in AGENTIC STATE, individual sees themselves as under the AUTHORITY of ANOTHER
- NOT RESPONSIBLE for the actions they take
- often will carry out an order without question (in this state)

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4
Q

what is the agentic shift?

A

change from autonomous state to the agentic state

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5
Q

Milgram suggested that agentic shift occurs when …

A

a person perceives someone else as a FIGURE OF AUTHORITY
- other person has GREATER POWER because of their position in a SOCIAL HIERARCHY

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6
Q

binding factors

A

the reason an individual remains in the agentic state

these binding factors include aspects of the situation that allow the person to IGNORE the DAMAGING EFFECTS of their behaviour
- reduce ‘moral strain’
- shifting responsibility to the VICTIM
- helps them feel calm and in control - they’re merely agents following orders

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7
Q

how did Milgram apply the agentic state theory to his own study?

A

argued pps saw themselves as SUBORDINATE of the experimenter
- not responsible for their own actions
- when pps were debriefed, they said they knew it was wrong (giving electric shocks), but they felt they were expected to obey the experimenter

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8
Q

strength of agentic state explanation (theory makes sense and has …)

A

the theory actually makes sense and has RESEARCH SUPPORT
- Blass and Schmitt (2001) showed a film of M’s study to students and asked them who was responsible for harming the learner
— students BLAMED the EXPERIMENTER (not the participant)
- students recognised the experimenter was a scientist - top of hierarchy, so had AUTHORITY
— pps were merely AGENTS and following orders

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9
Q

weakness of agentic state explanation (nurse)

A

theory does NOT explain many other research findings - why some pps did NOT obey in M’s study
- doesn’t explain why one of the nurses in Hofling’s study didn’t give the drug
— doctor = higher in hierarchy, nurse = agent BUT one nurse didn’t obey
- not explaining why people who are agents STILL DON’T OBEY

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10
Q

limitation of agentic state explanation (shooting)

A

research evidence has REFUTED the idea that Nazi’s behaviour can be explained in terms of the agentic state
- Mandel (1998) explained one incident - men obeyed orders to SHOOT civilians
— (German Reserve Police Battalion)
— the men weren’t given any DIRECT orders to do so, told they could do OTHER duties if they preferred
— police CHOSE to carry out the shootings
- police weren’t acting as agents, but still chose to
— agentic state theory doesn’t explain obedience

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11
Q

legitimate authority

A

people in certain positions hold AUTHORITY over the rest of us
- eg parents, teachers, police
- we’re SOCIALISED to obey certain authority figures from childhood
- refers to amount of SOCIAL POWER held by person giving orders
- we’re taught we should obey ppl w legitimate authority because we TRUST them, or because we FEAR PUNISHMENT

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12
Q

one of the consequences of this legitimacy of authority is that …

A

some people are granted the POWER TO PUNISH others
- eg police and courts allowed to punish criminals

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13
Q

legitimate authority in Milgram’s study

A

the scientist
- we’re taught to have respect for scientists

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14
Q

what are often a symbol of legitimate authority?

A

UNIFORMS
- explains Bickman’s study - ppl more likely to obey orders from a stranger wearing a uniform

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15
Q

when does legitimate authority become a problem?

A

when it becomes DESTRUCTIVE
- eg powerful leaders like Hitler use their legitimate powers for destructive purposes
- M’s study - experimenter used prods on pps to administer lethal shocks to an innocent learner

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16
Q

strength of legitimate authority (society)

A

explains the FUNCTIONING of a CIVILISED NATION
- we need to have legitimate authority figures in a well functioning, ordered society
- eg LA figures like police help prevent crime - without them, society wouldn’t function well
also, explains how obedience can lead to REAL-LIFE WAR CRIMES
- My Lai Massacre

17
Q

My Lai Massacre

A
  • Kelman and Hamilton (1989) argue the My Lai massacre can be understood in terms of the power of the hierarchy of the US army
  • took place in 1968 during the Vietnam war
    — 504 civilians killed, women were gang raped, solders blew up buildings, burnt the village, killed animals etc
  • only ONE soldier found GUILTY and faced charges
    — his defence was that he was only doing his DUTY to FOLLOW ORDERS
  • shows how legitimacy of authority theory works in REAL LIFE
18
Q

strength of legitimate authority theory (culture)

A

EXPLAINS CULTURAL DIFFERENCES in obedience
- eg Kilham and Mann (1974) replicated M’s study in Australia
- found 16% went to full voltage
- BUT, Mantell (1971) replicated M’s study in germany
- found 85% obedience rate
- diff. cultures have diff. upbringings thus strengthening the legitimacy of authority explanation
— showed how cultural differences in perceived legitimacy of authority

19
Q

weakness of legitimacy of authority (??)

A

not ALL legitimate authority figures should be OBEYED
- sometimes, we’ll obey the LA figure because of their status even if we DISAGREE with the order
- M’s study showed ppl will obey a LA figure, even if obedience led to HARM to another person

20
Q

Harold Shipman - legitimate authority

A
  • doctor : trusted, justified authority figure
  • killed over 200 patients

suggests a balance must be struck between TEACHING children to OBEY authority
- but also encourage them to sometimes QUESTION the orders
- just in case the orders are destructive
- should question LA if they are making UNETHICAL demands
- (weakness of LA)

21
Q

authoritarian personality

A

DISPOSITIONAL explanation
- Adorno (1950)
- claims an individual’s personality characteristics determine their behaviour
- (not the situational influences in the environment)

22
Q

authoritarian personality traits (7)

A

servile towards people of perceived higher status
hostile towards people of lower status
preoccupied w power
inflexible in their beliefs and values
conformist and conventional
likely to categorise people as ‘them’ or ‘us’
dogmatic (intolerant of ambiguity)

makes them MORE OBEDIENT

23
Q

why did Adorno believe people developed an authoritarian personality?

A

due to receiving extremely HARSH DISCIPLINE from PARENTS during their upbringing
- usually involving physical punishment
- creates feelings of HOSTILITY directed towards WEAKER others
— cannot fight back, and are therefore safe
- cannot fight against parent - fear them - so are SUBMISSIVE
- extend submissive behaviour to ALL AUTHORITY FIGURES

24
Q

F scale

A

Fascism scale
- developed by Adorno (1950)
- questionnaire to masure authoritarian personalities
- pps asked to rate how much they agree w statements
- eg ‘rules are there to be followed, not to be changed’

25
Q

how many people did Adorno test - F scale

A

more than 2000 middle class, white Americans
- and their unconscious attitudes towards other racial groups
- found a relationship between AUTHORITARIAN personality and HIGH score on F scale

26
Q

strength of authoritarian personality

A

RESEARCH SUPPORT
- link between being obedient to authority and having an authoritarian personality

27
Q

research support - authoritarian personality - Elms and Milgram (1966)

A

carried out follow up study
— pps who had taken part in M’s prior studies
- selected 20 obedient pps - delivered the highest shock
- and 20 disobedient pps - refused to shock all the way to 450 V
- each person completed a MMPI scale - measures several personality traits and F scale
— also asked Qs about relationship w their parents, and attitude towards experimenter
- high levels of authoritarian traits among OBEDIENT pps - high F scale score
- obedient more likely to be less close to their fathers & perceive experimenter as admirable
authoritarian personality = STRONG explanation
- link between F scale and obedience

28
Q

research support - authoritarian personality - Miller (1975) and Altemeyer (1981)

A

Miller
- found ppl w high F scale scores were more likely to HOLD some ELECTRIC WIRING while completing a test
- shows you’ll OBEY authority even if you HARM YOURSELF
- suggests it may be due to personality

Altemeyer (1981)
- asked pps to SHOCK THEMSELVES if they made a mistake (on a learning task)
- those w high F scale scores were MORE LIKELY to shock themselves
- shows link between authoritarian personality and obedience

29
Q

weakness for authoritarian personality (germany)

A

LIMITED EXPLANATION
- doesn’t explain why majority of population in Germany = obedient
- but not all germans can have an authoritarian personality
- alternative explanation = social identity theory
- explains obedience whereby German ppl IDENTIFIED w Nazis
- SIT theory is a MORE RELEVANT explanation

30
Q

weakness of authoritarian personality (F)

A

METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS
- based on flawed methodology
- F scale questionnaire has many problems
- eg every question is worded in the same direction
- so, it’s fairly EASY to get a HIGH score
- questions are all CLOSED - no room for explanation

also, adorno interviewed pps about their childhood experiences, BUT he alr knew their score - INTERVIEWER BIAS