Explanations for Obedience

• Who is one of the most well-known psychology researchers due to his study of obedience?

  Stanley Milgram
• What is the concept of destructive obedience as described by Milgram?

  It is when people obey an authority figure to the point of harming a stranger who has done them no wrong.
• What was the procedure of Milgram's obedience study?

  • Sample of American males recruited, unaware of the study's true aim
  • Participants acted as 'Teacher' administering fake electric shocks to 'Learner'
  • Experimenter provided prompts to encourage continuation
  • 65% of participants administered shocks up to 450 volts
• What theory is Milgram's study based on?

  Agency theory
• What does it mean for an individual to be in an agentic state?

  They feel removed from their actions and can claim they were just obeying orders.
• Provide examples of the agentic state.

  • Opening fire on unarmed civilians due to orders
  • My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War
  • Reporting a colleague for personal calls as per workplace directive
  • Ignoring a friend due to a powerful group member's instruction
• How does the agentic state affect personal responsibility?

  It allows individuals to minimize responsibility and guilt for their actions.
• What is required for the agentic state to occur?

  The presence of a legitimate authority figure.
• How do social hierarchies influence obedience?

  The further up the hierarchy someone is, the more they expect obedience from those lower down.
• What moral strain did Milgram's study impose on participants?

  Participants felt a burden of guilt/shame, which they could ease by shifting responsibility to the experimenter.
• What defines an authority figure?

  An authority figure is anyone who has a legitimate status to issue orders.
• How does the perception of authority affect obedience?

  If an individual perceives someone as an authority figure, they are more likely to obey their orders.
• What did Bickman's (1974) research demonstrate about obedience?


  • People obeyed a confederate dressed as a security guard more than one dressed as a milkman or in plain clothes.
  • The plain clothes condition resulted in the lowest levels of obedience.
  • Uniforms confer authority, even if not police uniforms.
• What are the consequences of lack of obedience in a hierarchical structure?

  Lack of obedience may result in punishment or withdrawal of social approval.
• Why might people prefer to obey rather than question authority?


  It is often easier to obey than to question the motivation behind the order.
• What are the strengths of agency theory in explaining obedience?

  • Strong external validity with historical examples of atrocities.
  • Supported by research evidence showing legitimacy of authority.
  • Examples include the Holocaust and Rwandan genocide.
• What did Blass & Schmitt (2001) find regarding responsibility in Milgram's study?


  Students blamed the experimenter for the harm to the learner, viewing him as the legitimate authority.
• What are the limitations of agency theory?

  • Cannot explain why some people do not obey.
  • Offers only a situational explanation, not a dispositional one.
  • Suggests a deterministic view of obedience, negating free will.
• What is a criticism of the deterministic nature of obedience explanations?

  They imply that individuals have no control over their actions.