Agentic state

• What is it called when someone shifts from the autonomous state to the agentic state?

  Agentic shift
• When did Milgram suggest an agentic shift occurs?

  When a person perceives someone else as an authority figure
• What is the agentic state?

  Where someone does not take responsibility and believes they are acting for someone
• What is somebody in the agentic state referred to as?

  An agent
• What is the autonomous state?


  Where someone takes responsibility and acts independent, free to behave according to their own principles
• Why does an authority figure have greater power?

  Higher position in a social hierarchy
• Why did Milgram suggest people stay in the agentic state despite wanting to stop?

  Binding factors
• What are binding factors?

  Aspects of the situation that allow the person to ignore/minimise the damaging effect of their behaviour and reduce the 'moral strain'
• What are examples of binding factors?

  Shifting responsibility to the victim or denying the damage they were doing