explanations for obedience

Question 1

agentic state

Answer 1

way in which individual may obey an order maybe to do something they see as wrong because hands over Responsibility for the outcome of the action to the authority figure. See themselves as agent for the authority figure and therefore doesn’t feel responsible

Question 2

Agency theory

Answer 2

• milgram
• argues are socialised from an early age to learn obedience to rules is necessary to keep stability within society where individuals have to give up some of their free will

Question 3

legitimacy of authority

Answer 3

• accept power and status of authority figures to give orders
• amount social power held by person who gives instruction. May obey those with legitimate authority because of trust/those with power to punish

Question 3

authoritarian personality

Answer 3

• obedient to authority
• extreme respect for authority and submissiveness to it
• disproval for people see as having inferior status
• need strong and powerful leader to enforce traditional values

Question 4

adorno experiment

Answer 4

• 2000 MC white Americas and unconscious attitudes to racial groups
• developed F-scale
• findings: those who scored high on F-scale identified with strong people and contemptuous of the weak
• conscious of own and others status showing respect and excessive willingness to serve or please others of higher status

Question 5

A03: evidence support legitimate authority by Milgram

Answer 5

E- when experimenter dressed in white lab coat instructed teacher to give shocks 65% gave shocks up to Max 450 volts even though knew potentially could kill
C- do obey legitimate authority because accept power and status of authority figure. E.g Milgram- at Yale and white lab coat representing power and status

Question 6

A03: evidence for agency theory by Milgram

Answer 6

E- experimenters gave prods to try make continue shocking learner. Informed participants he was responsible for what happened. 65% went up to Max 450V
C- when we obey see ourselves as agent of authority figure. Give up personal responsibility, autonomous state and transfer onto authority figure. In Milgram participants mindlessly obeyed orders as they didn’t feel personal responsibly for what happened to learner

Question 7

A03: support agency theory by Holfing

Answer 7

E- field experiment where nurses received phone call from unknown doctor who asked to give 20mg Astroten (2X dose). 95% prepared to obey and administer drug
C- obedient nurses entered agentic state, agent to doctor. Gave up personal responsibility and transferred Responsibility of giving overdose onto doctor

Question 8

A03: support authoritarian personality by Elms and Milgram

Answer 8

E- interviews with small sample of fully obedient patients, who scored highly on F-scale
C- suggests link between obedience and authoritarian personality

Question 9

A03: writ of Elms and Milgram research- as link is correlation between two measured variables

Answer 9

E- impossible draw conclusion that authritarian personality causes obedience on basis if this is the result
C- may be 3rd factor involved. Maybe both obedience and authoritarian personality associated with lower level of education and not directly linked with each other lowering the validity of research