Legitimacy of authority

• AO1 - Legitimacy of Authority 

  • Milgram stated that we obey people in a position of authority
  • Society is based on hierarchy 
  • with people in positions of power
  • Socialised from the earliest age 
  • to obey those above us in the hierarchy 
  • Ie first parents, teachers, police, 
  • We are taught to associate uniform with power
  • = highly obedient to those in uniform 
  • Also if we don’t obey those in power 
  • = we know there will be negative consequences
  • E.g. grounding, detention, arrest
• P - S: of legitimate authority is there is evidence to support it as an explanation for obedience 

  • In Milgram's original study the experimenter wore a lab coat (authority condition)
  • = 65% gave the full 450v shock
  • HOWEVER in his variation study the experimenter wore normal clothes
  • = obedience rate dropped 
  • Only 20% gave the full shock

  THEREFORE this supports the validity of legitimate authority

  BECAUSE M’s variation studies show us that we associate uniform with authority

  AND are much more obedient to those in uniform
• P- S: of this theory is it can explain cultural differences in obedience levels

  • Kilham and Mann replicated Milgram's study in Australia 
  • Found only 16% gave the full shock
  • HOWEVER Mantell found a difference in German P’s 
  • = 85% obeyed and gave the full shock

  THEREFORE this shows that some cultures place greater value on strict obedience to authority figures 

  MEANING the obedience rate is much higher

  = The theory of LV can explain these differences because it suggests we learn from society about how/who to obey