Obedience

Question 1

what is obedience

Answer 1

a formof social infuence where behaviour of individuals is influenced by real or imagined pressure from another

Question 2

what is agency theory for

Answer 2

-Experiments investigate/explain strocities committed during Nazi control on Germany
-Historians beleived Nazis had basic character flaw that made them more obedient at that time

Question 3

Who influenced Milgram to create the Agency Theory

Answer 3

-Hannnah Ardent(1963)wrote on Nazi luitenent and holocaust organiser Adolf Eichmann
-Spoke of him as uninspired official with mild-mannered nature rather than monster he was assumed to be
-As a result Milgram set out to investigate whether ‘anyone could be ordered to harm another’

Question 4

What was Milgrams Agency Theory study

Answer 4

Conducted experiments on ‘normal’, healthy participants to see whether they’d yield to authority figure and adminster electric shock to all innocent confederates of the study

Question 5

Milgrams Agency Theory Results

Answer 5

-We are all capable of complying to demands of someone in authority even if hurting another.
-We’re all capable of extreme obedince, must serve some evolutionary or societal function

Question 6

1.Milgrams Evolution Of Obedience

Answer 6

-Observered human society was heirarchial in nature, many at bottom,feww at op giving instructions how to behave
-Proposed heirarchy must evolved for some survival function

Question 7

2.Milgrams Evolution of Obedience

Answer 7

-Obedience within this social organization is necessary feature to maintain it, withour obedience it has challenges to social order resulting in chaos and societal breakdown
-born to be prepared for obedience

Question 8

Milgrams Evoution Obedience in society

Answer 8

-Exposed to authority fgures through family and education system, nurture this preparedness through process of socialisation
-Parents/primary caregivers use system of rewards and punishments to encourage obedience and discourage dissent in young children
-Sanction and rewards in education and legal systems,and so perform large role in ensuring we deveop as subordinate within our society

Question 9

What does Autonomous state mean

Answer 9

Human acts according to own free will, when given instructions switch to agentic

Question 10

What does Agentic state mean

Answer 10

See themselves acting as agent for authority figure

Question 11

Milgram A and A from obedience study

Answer 11

-Observered moral strain experienced when ordered to harm another
-Moral Strains occur when asked to do something they wouldnt choose to do themselves + feels immoral or unjust
-Result in uncomfortable, extreme circumstances anxiety and distress

Question 12

Milgram A and A theory-how to releive moral strain

Answer 12

-Shift into agentic state releives moral strain as individual displaces responsibility of situation absolving consequences of actions
-Dissent to autority can also produce releif on individual has removed themselves from situation

Question 13

Migram Obedience Evaluation-stengths

Answer 13

-1st obedience study demonstrated 65% participants willing to obey authority figure and potentially seriously harm innocent confederate of study
-provides evidence for agency theory cause participants show overt signs of moral strain(anxiety)when given order. When debrief, many reported behaviour was responsibility of esperimenter, that hadnt waned to do it
-provides evidence for concept of displacement of responsibility

Question 14

Milgram obedience eval strengths study

Answer 14

-Hofling et al(1966) study in staged hospital setting. Stage doctor telephoned nurse works late night, askeed her to administer x2 daily drug to patient
-Against hosp policy, fake doctor told nurse she’d sign prescription later. 21 of 22 nurses followed doctors orders and attempted to give meds
-Several nurses justified behaviour as being result of heirarchy of authority at hosp.
-Supports agency theory as majority nurses displaced their personal reliability

Question 15

Milgram obedience eval weakness

Answer 15

-Doesnt explain individual differences-why some obey and some dont
-Dissobedience/dissent can occur for many reasons, such as personality type,gender+situation.means obedience is more complex than just AT expanation

Question 16

Milgram obedience eval 2

Answer 16

AT dont explain motivationa issues behind obedience. French + Raven(1959), 5 bases of power, said to motivate+influence behaviours:legitimate,reward,referent, expert and coercive power. provide better esplanation for obedience and for Milgram’s findings.