Agency theory

• Agency theory Ao1

  • autonomous state
  • behaviour = 'self directed' - we can choose how to behave
  • we take greater responsibility for the consequences of our actions
  • we operate in this state with peers or people below us in social hierarchy
• Agency theory Ao1

  Agentic shift

  • when meeting someone we judge whether they are below or above us in the social hierarchy
  • when confronted with a legitimate authority figure, we change from normal autonomous state to the agentic state. This change = agentic shift
• Agency theory Ao1

  Agentic state

  • when in agentic state we become the 'agent' of the authority figure, so we act on their behalf and responsibility for our actions relies on them.
  • we follow orders given to us by the authority figure
• Agency theory Ao1

  Moral strain

  • when in agentic state people may experience symptoms of anxiety, especially when obeying orders that result in harm and against our moral compass.
  • blinding factors make people remain in agentic state
• Agency theory - supporting evidence

  • Supported by Milgram's study
  • he found that 100% of participants would administer a shock of 300V to a confederate as a punishment for making a mistake on a memory test - 65% would go to 450V
  • clearly supports suggestion that in the face of legitimate authority people are likely to carry out orders despite high levels of moral strain
• Agency theory - conflicting evidence

  Perry questioned the internal validity of Milgram's study - saying that the participants saw through the deception

  • she axamined evidence from Yale uni archives of his study - revealed that many participants questioned whether the shocks were real. - revealed that 60% disobeyed experimenter.
  • This data leaves agency theory in question
• Agency theory - conflicting evidence

  • agentic shift = not inevitable
  • Rank and jacobson's study with nurses found 89% of nurses failed to obey orders from a doctor who asked them to administer an overdose
  • shows that despite being commanded by authority, vast majority of sample remained autonomous
• Agency theory - usefulness


  • when blinding factors outweigh moral strain, obediance follows
  • principle applied in military strategies to ensure soldiers follow rules
  • eg, use of euphemisms such as 'collateral damage' and dehumanising language used to refer to enemy
  • shows authority's communication can minimise moral strain and ensure agentic state
• Can good people be turned evil?

  • In 2004, explicit photographs provided stark evidence of human rights abuse committed by US military personnel against Iraqi detainees in Abu Ghraib, a prison in Baghdad
  • some of the military personnel eg, Lynndie England were tried in court for their offences. They blamed the chain of command saying that they were just following orders to 'be tough' and 'break' the prisoners. She is quoted as saying 'we don't feel like we were doing things that we weren't supposed to, because we were told to do them' (CBS News 2004)
  • Zimbardo appeared as an expert witness, defending the actions of the soldiers and citing his own research (Stanford prison exp) aswell as Milgram's.
  • he explained the power of social situation in eliciting 'evil behaviour' from 'good people', due to our deeply ingrained predisposition to obey orders.
• The role of socialisation - individual differences

  • agency theory suggests that we have an innate potential for obedience, which implies that everyone should be the same (no individual differences)
  • however, obedience is shaped by experiences such as differing parenting styles and educational experiences
  • these experiences may explain individual differences in obedience
• Issues and debates

  • there are alternative ways to explain obedience, using a different theme/theory
  • Reicher (2012) has used social identity theory to explain obedience, using the concept of 'engaged followership'. According to him, people obey leaders who are seen to be part of their social group, therefore the followers identify with the leader.
  • disobedience occurs when the followers fail to identify with the leader
  • This alternative theme/theory is important as it helps to explain when and why people disobey whereas agency theory doesn't