Factors: Why People Obey

Question 1

What is an autonomous state?

Answer 1

Acting according to own beliefs and values

Question 2

What is an agentic state?

Answer 2

Individuals see themselves acting on behalf of someone else

Responsibility is no longer theirs

Question 3

Individual Factors

Answer 3

Authoritarian Personality: more likely to obey (Adorno)

Low Self Esteem: more likely to obey w group pressure (Santee and Maslach)

Gender: women obey more than men, they hold lower status (Crutchfield) / no difference between genders (Eagly and Carli), shifts in gender roles and stereotypes

Question 4

Legitimate Authority

Answer 4

Having power/high status with their roles
Defined by society and so have legitimate social power
Gives authority figure control over behaviour of others

E.g. teachers or parents

Question 5

Location

Answer 5

Milgram moved his study from a prestigious Yale Uni to an office in the city centre
Obedience dropped to 52%

Question 6

Presence of Authority Figure

Answer 6

When experimenter left room and delivered instructions by phone, obedience dropped to 20.5% (Milgram)

Question 7

Proximity

Answer 7

It’s easier to harm someone if you don’t need to get close to them (easier to shoot than stab)

When the participant and “learner” were in the same room, obedience dropped 25% (40% from 65%)

Question 8

Peers

Answer 8

When removed from belting fully responsible, obedience is high

Milgram arranged 2 confederates to dissent at 150 and 210 V
Obedience dropped to 10%

However when participants simply read the words and didn’t deliver the shocks, obedience was 92.5%

Question 9

Socialisation

Answer 9

Fear of disrupting a social situation

Fear of questing an authority figure