Social-psychological factors

• Legitimacy of Authority.

  Suggests were are more likely to obey people we perceive to have authority over us. This authority is justified (legitimate) by the individual's position of power within a social hierarchy. The authority is legitimate in the sense that it is agreed upon by society.
• Agentic State.

  A mental state where we feel no personal responsibility for our behaviour as we believe we are acting for an authority figure. We become their 'agent
• Autonomous State.

  A mental state where we feel personal responsibility for out behaviour and actions.
• Agentic Shift.

  The shift from autonomy to agency. Milgram suggested that this occurs when we perceive someone else as an authority figure. This person has power because of their position in a social hierarchy
• Binding Factors.

  Aspects of the situation that allow the person to ignore or minimise the damaging effect their behaviour and thus reduce the moral strain they are feeling. E.g shifting responsibility to the victim, 'he was foolish to volunteer'.
• Destructive Personality.

  When a legitimate authority figure uses their power for destructive purposes. Ordering people to behave in ways that are cruel, stupid and dangerous. Such as Hitler and Stalin.
• STRENGTH EVALUATION: SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS.

  RESEARCH SUPPORT: Blass and Schmitt (2001) showed a film of Milgram's study to students and asked them who was responsible for the harm to the learner. The students blamed the 'experimenter'. They indicated this was due to legitimate authority (as the experimenter was top of the hierarchy) but also due to expert authority (as he was a scientist) Their view supports the explanation.
• STRENGTH EVALUATION: SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS.

  CULTURAL DIFFERENCES: The legitimacy of authority explanation is useful as it is an account of cultural differences in obedience. Studies show that countries differ in the degree to which people are traditionally obedient to authority. Kilham and Mann (1974) replicated Milgram's study in Australia and found 16% went to 450 volts. Mantell (1971) in Germany found the figure was 85%. This shows in some cultures authority is more likely to be accepted as legitimate. Such supportive findings from cross cultural research increase the validity of the explanation.
• STRENGTH EVALUATION: SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS.

  REAL-LIFE CRIMES OF OBEDIENCE: Legitimacy of authority can help explain how obedience can lead to real-life war crimes. Hamilton (1989) argue that the My Lai massacre can be understood in terms of the power hierarchy in the US Army. Soldiers assume orders given by the hierarchy to be legal; even orders to kill, rape + destroy villages. This is a strength as the explanation has real life applications and real-life supporting evidence.
• LIMITATION EVALUATION: SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS.


  A LIMITED EXPLANATION: The agent shift doesn't explain many of the findings such as why some of the participants did not obey. It also doesn't explain the findings of Hofling et al. According to the agent shift explanation the nurses would have had similar anxiety levels as Milgram's participants while they are handing over responsibility to the doctors a their understood their role in a destructive process. However, this was not the case. This is a limitation as the agent shift can only account for some situations of obedience therefore is not comprehensive enough.
• LIMITATION EVALUATION: SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS.

  'OBEDIENCE ALIBI' REVISITED: the is evidence to show the behaviour if the Nazis cannot be explained by authority and agent shift. Mandel (1998) describes an incident where a German Battalion obeyed orders to shoot civilians in a small town in Poland. Despite the fact they were not given a direct order to do so. They were told they could be signed to other duties if they proffered. This behaviour challenges the agent shift as there was no legitimate authority figure involved but the soldiers were part of the destructive process regardless, acting in an autonomous state.
• We obey people at the top of a social hierarchy

  Most societies are structures hierarchically. People in certain positions hold authority over the rest of us. Parents, teachers, police officers etc, all have some kind of authority over us at some point.
• Authorities have legitimacy through societies agreement

  The authority they wield is legitimate in the sense that it is agreed by society. Most of us accept that authority figures should exercise social power over others because this allows society to function smoothly.
• We hand control of our behaviour over to authority figures due to trust and through upbringing 


  One consequence of legitimate authority is that some people are granted power to punish others. We give up some of our independence to people we trust to exercise their authority appropriately. We learned to accept authority during childhood from parents and teachers.
• Charismatic leaders use their legitimate powers for destructive purposes


  History has too often shown that leaders eg. Hitler and Stalin use legitimate authority destructively, ordering people to behave in callous, cruel and dangerous ways.