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OBEDIENCE: SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS - Coggle Diagram
OBEDIENCE: SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS
AO1
EXPLANATION 1: AGENTIC STATE
An agentic state occurs when we act on behalf of another person
In an agentic state a person feels no personal responsibility for their actions
Milgram proposed that obedience to destructive authority occurs because a person becomes an 'agent', someone who acts for or in place of another
The opposite of an agentic state is an autonomous state
'Autonomy' means to be in dependent or free. So a person in an autonomous state behaves according to their own principles + feels responsible for their own actions
Agentic shift occurs when a person defers to the authority figure
The shift from autonomy to being an 'agent' is called the agentic shift. 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 heirarchy
Binding factors reduce the 'moral strain' of obeying immoral orders
Binding factors are aspects of a situation that allow the person to ignore or minimise the damaging effect of their behaviour and reduced the 'moral strain' they feel.
Milgram proposed a number of strategies the individual uses, such as shifting the responsibility to the victim or denying the damage they are doing to victims
EXPLANATION 2: LEGITIMACY OF AUTHORITY
We obey people at the top of a social hierarchy
Most societies are structured hierarchically. People in certain positions hold authority over the rest of us. Parents, teachers, police officers, nightclub bouncers, all have some kind of authority over us at times
Authorities have legitimacy through society's 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 the 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 + teachers
Charismatic leaders use their legitimate powers for destructive purposes
History has too often shown that leaders (e.g. Hitler) use legitimate authority destructively, ordering people to behave in callous cruel, dangerous and stupid ways
AO3