Explanations for obedience

• Obedience

  Behaviour in compliance with a direct command, often one issued by a person in position of authority
• Two explanations for obedience are:

  The agentic state

  Legitimacy of authority
• The agentic state- A01

  The agentic state refers to an individual acting as an agent of an authority figure. When someone is in the agentic state, they dont feel guilt or responsibility for their actions so the authority figure takes responsibility and an individual is more likely to obey them.

  however, if the individual is in an autonomous state, where they act according to their principles, they are less likely to obey as they take responsibility.

  Milgram states when in the presence of an authority figure, we move from autonomous to agentic, known as the agentic shift.
• Legitimacy of authority- A01

  Legitimacy of authority refers to the amount of social power an authority figure holds.

  We learn where we are in the social hierarchy through socialisation, and who is above and below us. we learn that its acceptable and a value to obey those above us, and thus accept their power to punish or have authority over us.

  These people may carry symbols (like uniform) or possess status (like rank) to communicate legitimacy of authority.
• What is one strength of the legitimacy of authority theory?

  There is research support for legitimacy of authority
• Agentic state evaluation- real life obedience

  POINT- One weakness is the theory fails to explain the gradual and irreversible transition in agentic shift in some cases.

  EVIDENCE- Lifton studied German soldiers who worked in auschwitz. found that the doctors gradually changed from ordinary medical professionals to doctors who were capable of carrying lethal experiments.

  EXPLAIN- This suggests evil tasks change behaviour and obedience rather than the agentic shift, which states we can easily shift back and forth between the two.
• Agentic state evaluation- cruelty

  POINT- Another weakness is people may not be in an agentic state but may just be cruel

  EVIDENCE- Social scientists detected signs of cruelty amongst the SPE guards, who acted cruel as they believed its what they were ordered to do. However there wasnt a clear authority figure.

  EXPLAIN- So, not all forms of obedience are due to the agentic shift. Some may be due to a desire to harm others.