Social psychology - Obedience
Agency theory - Autonomous state AO1
Free to take responsibility for our own actions, free thinking.
Agency theory - Agentic Shift AO1
Move between thinking autonomously and obeying authority figure
Agency theory - Agentic state AO1
Feeling of bring controlled by authority figure so giving up responsibility for own actions
Agency theory - Moral Strain AO1
Discomfort and stress caused by internal conflict between need to follow authority figures orders and believing actions are wrong.
Agency theory - S AO3
Milgram (1965) - Participants demonstrated moral strain when following orders to conduct electric shock
Agency theory - C AO3
Adorno et al (1950) - Authoritarian personalities are more liekly to be more hostile to people not in their group who are considered inferior. Therefore, it doesnt completely explain prejudice as it doesnt account for personality types
Agency theory - O AO3
Social impact theory - number of people/proximity to a person and strength of message will affect how obedient a person is.
Agency Theory - D AO3
Reductionist - Reduces obedience behaviour down to one factor; presence of an authority figure. Allows us to see cause and effect of authority on obedience and make predictions about future obedience
Agency Theory - A AO3
Can use this in schools to ensure that essential behaviour is instructed by authority figures e.g. teachers. However, not all authority figures are always positive obedience leaders
Sample of Milgram studies
Self-selected, 40 males, aged 20-50, wide variety of backgrounds, responded to newspaper advert and were paid $4.50
Milgram Original Study - Aim AO1
Test "Germans are different" hypothesis to see obedience from an authority figure and give electric shocks to harm another person
Milgram Original study -
Procedure AO1
participants were asked to administer an electric shock to another participant (who was actually a confederate) upon incorrectly pairing words. sample shock was 45v. Each time a the pairing was incorrect, the voltage of the electric shock increased every 15v up to 450v
Milgram Original study - Results AO1
100% gave 300v shocks, 65% gave 450v shocks
Milgram Original study - Conclusion AO1
Obedience was a product of situation that people were in rather than personality. Agentic shift occurs when authority figure present even if this means experience of moral strain
Milgram Experiment 7 - Aim AO1
To see whether physical proximity of the experimenter had an influence on the level of obedience displayed by participants
Milgram Experiment 7 -
Procedure AO1
Ppts were given orders in person, then experimenter left and continued giving orders over the phone
Milgram Experiment 7 - Results AO1
22.5% obeyed, those that didnt obey kept shocks at low levels
Milgram Experiment 7 - Conclusion AO1
Physical presence of an authority figure is important factor of obedience
Milgram Experiment 10 - Aim AO1
To see if environment impacts obedience levels due to using a less prestigious setting
Milgram Experiment 10 -
Procedure AO1
Used a rundown office suite. 40 males selected through mailshot recruitment, were paid for their time. Conducted same way as original
Milgram Experiment 10 - Results AO1
47.5% obeyed, those that didnt were questioning and more curious
Milgram Experiment 13 - Aim AO1
To see if change in obedience occurs if an ordinary man was giving orders designed to test the role of authority and status of ppts obedience levels
Milgram Experiment 13 -
Procedure AO1
Experimenter tells "teacher" to give shocks but doesnt specify how much. Experimentier receives phone call, leaves confederate to suggest to increase voltage every 15v
Milgram Experiment 13 - Results AO1
20% obeyed