Weaknesses

• The agentic state cannot explain some research findings when people follow orders.
• Hoffling et al- 21 out of 22 nurses=95% obeyed the order of the Doctor Smith and began with the administration of the medication, until the observing doctor interrupted them.
• This supports elements of the explanation because the nurses likely handed responsibility over to the Doctor for this action rather than accepting the responsibility.
• However nurses did not report feeling anxious, which contradicts the explanation. This suggests agentic shift can only account for some situations of obedience, as the nurses did not fully demonstrate agentic shift.
• This therefore has limited/lack of validity.
• Obedience alibi revisited:

  David Mandel(1998) described one incident in the Second World War involving German Reserve Police Battalion 101. These men shot many civilians in a small town in Poland, despite not having direct orders to do so(they were told they could be assigned to other duties if they preferred) i.e. they behaved autonomously.
• This suggests agentic state cannot explain all actions of Nazi soldiers during WW2 so it is not an appropriate explanation for why soldiers behaved so brutally towards people.