Agentic State AO3

Question 1

Strength of Agentic State (Research Support - Milgram’s Study)

Answer 1

Milgram’s original obedience study provides strong support for the agentic state, as participants reported feeling relieved of personal responsibility when they were instructed to obey an authority figure, demonstrating the shift from autonomous to agentic state.

Question 2

Strength of Agentic State (Real-World Application - Holocaust)

Answer 2

The concept of the agentic state has been used to explain historical events like the Holocaust, where Nazi officers claimed they were “just following orders,” helping to understand how ordinary people can commit atrocities when they are in an agentic state.

Question 3

Weakness of Agentic State (Ignores Individual Differences)

Answer 3

The agentic state theory doesn’t fully account for individual differences. For instance, not everyone in Milgram’s study obeyed orders, suggesting that factors like personality (e.g., authoritarianism) may also influence obedience.

Question 4

Weakness of Agentic State (Over-Simplification)

Answer 4

The agentic state theory may be an oversimplification of obedience, as it does not consider the complexity of social, cultural, and situational factors in obedience, such as social identity theory or situational variables (e.g., proximity, uniform).