Situational explanations

• What is the agentic state

  A mental state where you follow orders from an authority figure and don't feel personally responsible for your actions.
• What is the autonomous state

  This is when a person is free to behave according to their own principles and feel a sense of responsibility for their own actions
• What are binding factors

  This allows individual to ignore the damaging effects of their obedient behaviour, reducing anxiety
• What is the legitimacy of authority

  An explanation for obedience that suggest that we are more likely to obey someone if we see them as having real power or authority. Their power feels valid because of their role in society
• What is destructive authority

  When someone with real power uses it to harm others, and people still obey them since they are in charge
• What is a strength of the agentic state

  Research support: Milgram's studies support the agentic state as Milgram's resistant participants continued giving shocks when experimenter took responsibility
• What is a limitation of the agentic state

  A limited explanation: Cannot explain why Rank and Jacobson's nurses and some of milligram's participants disobeyed
• What is a strength of the legitimacy of authority

  Explains cultural difference: In Australia, 16% obey a milgram-style study (Kilham and Mann) but 85% obeyed in Germany (Mantell), This show authority is accepted as legitimate in some cultures
• What is a limitation of the legitimacy of authority

  Cannot explain all disobedience: Rank and Jacobson nurses were in a hierarchical structure but didn't not obey to legitimate authority (the doctor)