social-psychological obedience factors Flashcards
(44 cards)
What is the agentic state?
A psychological condition where individuals see themselves as agents executing someone else’s wishes
What does the agentic shift refer to in Milgram’s study?
When participants moved from feeling responsible for their actions to perceiving the experimenter as responsible.
What are binding factors in the agentic state?
Commitment to the experimenter and fear of appearing rude or disobedient.
Why did participants continue administering shocks despite emotional discomfort?
Social pressures and a sense of obligation to the authority figure overrode their personal morals.
What study supports the agentic state theory?
Blass and Schmitt’s (2001) study where students thought the experimenter was responsible for the shocks.
How did Blass and Schmitt’s (2001) study support the agentic state theory?
Participants believed the experimenter had legitimate and expert authority
What is a limitation of the agentic state theory?
It cannot explain why 35% of participants in Milgram’s study disobeyed.
What does the disobedience of 35% in Milgram’s study suggest?
It indicates that factors other than the agentic state influence obedience.
What was the issue with Hofing’s study in relation to the agentic state?
Nurses obeyed without showing moral strain
What does the authoritarian personality theory suggest?
People with an authoritarian personality are more likely to obey authority figures.
How does the authoritarian personality critique the agentic state theory?
It emphasizes personality traits rather than situational factors in explaining obedience.
What traits are common in individuals with an authoritarian personality?
Submissiveness to authority and hostility toward lower-status groups.
How does research by Adorno et al. support the authoritarian personality theory?
It showed that individuals with an authoritarian personality were more prone to obedience.
What follow-up finding by Milgram supports the authoritarian personality theory?
Obedient participants often scored higher on the F-scale
What is the legitimacy of authority?
The perception that an individual holds a rightful position of power.
How does legitimacy of authority affect obedience?
People are more likely to obey when they perceive the authority figure as legitimate.
In Milgram’s study
why did participants obey the experimenter?
How did the location of the study affect obedience in Milgram’s experiment?
When moved to a less prestigious setting
What does the decrease in obedience when the study was moved suggest?
The authority figure’s perceived legitimacy is influenced by the setting.
What real-world event does the legitimacy of authority theory help explain?
The My Lai massacre.
How does the My Lai massacre relate to legitimacy of authority?
Soldiers blindly followed orders from a higher authority
What cross-cultural finding supports the legitimacy of authority theory?
Kilham and Mann (1974) found only 16% obedience in Australia
How did Mantell’s (1971) study support the legitimacy of authority theory?
It found 85% obedience in Germany
What does cross-cultural research on obedience suggest?
Different societies demonstrate different levels of obedience
