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Authority figures on obedience (Stanley Milgram's study (Situational…
Authority figures on obedience
Obedience involves following a direct order from an individual who has superior authority.
Adolf Eichmann who was responsible for much of the organisation of concentration camps said that he was only following orders and had therefore done nothing wrong.
Stanley Milgram's study
He conducted a controlled observation into obedience called 'The Electric Shock' study.
The research involved participants teaching a word list to a learner and administering an electric shock if the learner got a series of word pairs incorrect.
The reasearcher wearing a lab coat prompted the participants to continue giving shocks even when the learner told them to stopped.
The researcher would respond that the responsibility was his and not the participant's.
The learner and the researcher were confederates.
The learner and the researcher were confederates.
65% went all the way upto 450 volts on the shock generator
Situational factors that influenced participants to obey...
Presence of a legitimate authority figure wearing a lab coat.
location of the research- well respected uni (Yale)
the fact the participant couldn't see the learner.
the researcher saying that he would take responsibility if anything happened to the learner.
Agency Theory
Agentic state is when an individual does not feel responsible for their actions as they are acting under orders from an authority figure.
Autonomous state is where the individual feels responsible for their own actions.
Hofling (1966)
He had a confederate pose as a doctor in a hospital and give instructions to a nurse over the phone. They were told to give a patient some medicine, the dose of which was too high.
21/22 nurses obeyed the doctor's orders
asked a different set of nurses what they would've done- they said they wouldn't have followed the doctor's orders.
Charismatic leaders
charismatic personality of the leaders enables them to create a special bond with the followers and allows them to exert power.
The leader is seen as being superhuman and is idolised by his followers.
Examples include Hitler and Jim Jones