Milgram claimed that people shift back and forth between the agentic and autonomous states
This does not explain the gradual and irreversible transition Lifton found in German doctors in Auschwitz
Staub (1989) suggests that
It is the experience of carrying out acts of evil over a long time that changes the way in which people think and behave
SPE study guards rapidly escalated cruelty to prisoners
Even though they had no authority figure telling them to do so
Individuals therefore do not obey but rather merely express their own desires
· There are positive consequences of obedience to legitimate authority (e.g. responding to a police officer in an emergency) - but it can also justify the harming of others e.g. military.
· Real life example – Tarnow (2000) analysed aircraft accidents where flight crew were responsible and found officers followed captains orders because they assumed he was right = shows we don't questions authority even in dangerous situations.
