Obedience - Social-Psychological

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  • Created by: AK
  • Created on: 13-12-17 08:48
Agentic state
A mental state where we feel no personal responsibility for our behaviour because we believe ourselves to be acting for an authority figure. This frees us from the demands of our consciences and allows us to obey even a destructive authority figure
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Legitimacy of authority
An explanation for obedience which suggests that we are more likely to obey people who we perceive to have authority over us. This authority is justified by the individual's position of power within a social hierarchy
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Autonomous state
A person who is free to behave according to their own principles and therefore feels a sense of responsibility for their own actions
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Agentic shift
The shift from an autonomous state to an agentic state
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Binding factors
Aspects of the situation that allow the person to ignore or minimise the damaging effect of their behaviour and thus reduce the 'moral strain' they are feeling
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Legitimacy of authority in society
Most societies are structured in a hierarchical way, so people in certain positions hold authority over us. Most of us accept that authority figures have to be allowed to exercise social power over others in order for society to function smoothly
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Destructive authority
When legitimate authority figures use their powers for destructive purposes. It was shown in Milgram's study, when the experimenter used prods to order participants to behave in ways that went against their consciences
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Evaluation - research support
Blass and Schmitt (2001) showed a film of Milgram's study to students and asked them to identify who they felt was responsible for the harm to the learner. They blamed the 'experimenter' as he had legitimate authority and expert authority
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Evaluation - a limited explanation
The agentic shift doesn't explain why some of the participants didn't obey, and doesn't explain the findings of Hofling et al's study - the nurses should have felt anxiety as they felt their part in a destructive process
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Evaluation - cultural differences
A strength of the legitimacy of authority = useful account of cultural differences in obedience. e.g. Kilham and Mann (1974) replicated Milgrams study in AUS and only 16% went to top, In GER it was 85% - cross cultural research = increased validity
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Evaluation - the 'obedience alibi' revisited
A limitation is there is research evidence to show Nazi behaviour cannot be explained by authority and agentic shift. Mandel (1998) - German Reserve Police Battalion 101 - obeyed orders to shoot civilians (didn't have to, could do other duties)
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Evaluation - real-life crimes of obedience
A strength of the legitimacy of authority explanation is it can help explain how obedience can lead to real-life war crimes. Kelman and Hamilton (1989) argue the My Lai massacre can be understood in terms of the power heirarchy of the US army
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

An explanation for obedience which suggests that we are more likely to obey people who we perceive to have authority over us. This authority is justified by the individual's position of power within a social hierarchy

Back

Legitimacy of authority

Card 3

Front

A person who is free to behave according to their own principles and therefore feels a sense of responsibility for their own actions

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

The shift from an autonomous state to an agentic state

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

Aspects of the situation that allow the person to ignore or minimise the damaging effect of their behaviour and thus reduce the 'moral strain' they are feeling

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
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