agency theory - social

• who came up with agency theory

  Milgram
• what did Milgram propose obedience must serve

  some evolutionary and societal function
• evolution and survival - what do humans organise themselves into

  hierarchal groups with different levels of authority
• what did Milgram propose a hierarchal system has evolved for

  a survival function as societies with social groups that have leaders are more likely to be successful and survive
• what did milgram say about social organisation and obedience

  obedience is a necessary feature in order to maintain the social organisation - without it there would be challenges to social order leading to societal breakdown
• what two ways can obedience occur

  through nature and through nurture
• how does obedience occur through nature

  innate preparedness - all humans are born with the capacity for language, we are all genetically prepared to be obedient
• how does obedience occur through nurture

  socialisation - our upbringing and exposure to authority figures prepares our obedience
• what two types of socialisation are there within nurture

  primary and secondary
• who is primary socialisation with

  friends, family
• who is secondary socialisation with

  education, legal systems
• what did milgram propose must lie within the hierarchal structure of social groups

  a mechanism that ensures obedience
• what two states did milgram propose we exist in

  autonomous state or the agentic state
• what is the autonomous state

  a mindset where we behave independently, make our own decisions about how we behave and take responsibility for the consequences of our own actions
• what is the agentic state

  a mindset where we rid ourselves of any responsibility for our actions, believing we are acting on someone else's behalf and displace responsibility on them (the authority figure)
• what does the agentic state allow us to do

  carry out orders from an authority figure even if they conflict with our personal values and beliefs
• what is moral strain

  tension, uncomfortableness, anxiety, stress felt when an individual is torn between carrying out an order they believe is wrong and disobeying
• when does moral strain occur

  when an individual is given orders by an authority figure that they would not choose to do themselves normally
• what two ways can moral strain be ended by

  1 - shifting to the agentic state

  2 - adopting an autonomous state
• what is the agentic shift

  the switch that occurs between the autonomous and agentic state when we perceive someone to be a legitimate source of authority and it allows them to control out behaviour
• how does undergoing the agentic shift help end moral strain

  responsibility is displaced onto the authority figure so in the eyes of the individual they are no longer responsible for any consequences

  . moral strain ends as they feel irresponsible and they are being obedient
• how does adopting an autonomous state help end moral strain

  the person disobeys authority and moral strain ends as they remove themselves from the situation without doing an action they perceive as immoral
• evidence for agency theory

  supported by Milgrams 1963 study - found 65% ppts were willing to obey an authority figure and potentially seriously harm someone - pts showed signs of moral strain when given orders

  . results from debriefs showed ppts felt it was the responsibility of the experimenter and that they hadn't wanted to do it
• evidence against agency theory

  Perry - questioned the internal validity of milgrams evidence saying ppts saw through the deception, evidence from Yale archives showed ppts had questioned whether the shocks were real in 60% of cases = leaves agency theory in question
• application of agency theory

  . can explain real world atrocities eg: My Lai village massacred during Vietnam war, the lieutenant who instructed the men to do this justified himself by saying he was 'just following orders' = supports the displacement of responsibility in the agentic state = supports agency theory
• strengths of agency theory

  takes into account both nature and nurture
• shortcomings of agency theory

  . doesn't explain individual differences - why some people obey and some disobey, disobedience can occur for many reasons eg personality and situation = obedience is a more complex process than the theory explains it to be

  . unscientific - parts of the theory are hard to define and measure eg autonomous and agentic states, there is no direct evidence for the evolutionary basis of obedience
• alternative theory


  SIT - as it can explain variable leading to dissent and obedience