Situational explanations

• Agentic state


  A mental state where we feel no personal responsibility for our actions and we feel ourselves to be acting for an authority figure.

  This state allows us to obey even a destructive authority figure.
• Autonomous state


  When a person is free to behave according to their own principles and feels a sense of responsibility for their actions.
• Adolf Eichmann


  Milgram's interest was sparked by Adolf Eichmann's trial in 1961

  Eichmann was in charge of Nazi camps and his only defence was that he was following orders
• Adolf Eichmann quotes from the trial


  "I have a lot on my conscience. I know that but I had nothing to do with killing the Jews. I never killed a Jew - I've never killed anybody"

  He didn't deny the facts all he said was that he was "following orders"
• Agentic shift


  The shift from an autonomous state to an agentic state.

  Milgram says that this occurs when a person perceives someone else as an authority figure.

  The authority figure has greater power as they have a higher position in a hierarchy.
• Legitimacy of authority


  We are more likely to obey people who we perceive to have authority over us.

  This authority is justified by the people in power due to a social hierarchy.

  Most people accept authority figures to allow society to run smoothly.

  We learn acceptance of authority in childhood.