Agency Theory

• why did Milgram develop this theory?


  to explain the results from his experiments
• what did Milgram's study show?

  given the right circumstances, just about anyone will do just about anything they are told to, providing they believe the person is under legitimate authority
• what was the evolutionary and societal function of obedience?

  it naturally organises itself into different hierarchy and expect people under us to follow us and we follow ones above us
• what happened to societal groups when hierarchy evolved?

  social leaders were more successful and groups survived
• what would happen if there was no obedience in a group?

  changes to the social order would result in societal breakdown
• how do people know how to be obedient?

  nature and nurture
• what part of nature allows us to know obedience?

  innate preparedness - we are born with the capacity for language and similarly we are prepared for obedience passed on genetically
• how does nurture allow us to know obedience?

  socialisation - our upbringing and exposure to authority like family figures and teachers in education
• what were Milgram's two different states that humans exist in?

  in autonomous state and agentic state
• what does being in a autonomous state mean?

  as humans we act accordingly to our own free will and direct our own behaviour
• what is an example of being in autonomous state in Milgram's study?

  when the participant refused to continue delivering shocks to learner
• what does being in the agentic state mean?

  an individual places their responsibility and actions onto the authority figure - seeing themselves as an agent for authority figure making them not responsible in their eyes
• what is an example of being in agentic state in Milgram's study?

  continuing when they were told that they wouldn't be responsible as a participant for learner's health
• what is moral strain?

  psychological discomfort that happens when someone is torn between obeying authority figure or their own conscience
• what physical symptoms can moral strain cause?

  stress related responses like stuttering and anxeity
• what are the 2 ways you can stop moral strain?

  1. shift into an agentic state - pass responsibility for actions onto authority figure
  2. adopt into a autonomous state - take responsibility and disobey the authority figure
• what was the evidence for Agency theory? (pos)

  1. Milgram's participants became distressed - suggesting they endured moral strain
  2. many said that they obeyed as experimenter said that he takes responsibility for what happenes
• what was the downside to the evidence for Agency theory? (neg)

  1. research lacks mundane realism as its not like a real life scenario
  2. criticism as lacks internal validity because participants didn't believe that they weren't delivering real shocks
• what was the conclusion for the evidence?

  validity has been questioned in real life settings because of Sheridan and King experiment in real settings
• where can this theory be applied to?

  1. explaining the atrocities of obedience in second WW
  2. educating people about blind obedience to malevolent authority and wanted o reduce likelihood
  3. used to understand how to increase obedience - displacement of responsibility to authority figure
• what is a strength about this theory?

  1. the theory is interactionist because it takes into account nature and nurture - less reductionist than other obedience theories
  2. takes into account individual differences as different upbringing - education, culture, economical status
• what is a shortcoming of the theory?

  it is descriptive rather than being explanative as it doesn't explain why some people go further - e.g mutilation of bodies at My Lai massacre
• what is the conclusion for strength and shortcoming?

  the theory explains some aspects of obedience, it doesn't take in to account the motivation behind someone's behaviour
• what are the alternative theories for agency theory?

  1. not all instructions ask someone to do something immoral
  2. some cases agency theory better than social impact theory explaining obedience