Obedience

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  • Created by: 11pyoung
  • Created on: 12-04-17 13:48
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  • Obedience
    • Agency theory
      • In order for a society to function it requires that people are obedient to those people above them in the hierarchy
        • Hierarchies make society more successful
      • We are innately predisposed to be obedient
        • During our upbringing we are surrounded by authority figures and are socialised into being obedient towards them
      • People experience either autonomy, where they act according to their own free will or agency, where they behave according to the will of an authority figure.
        • People in an agentic state will avoid taking responsibility for the consequences of their actions by displacing the responsibility onto the authority figure
      • Milgram
      • Ppts in Milgram's study experienced Moral strain
        • Ppts became anxious or distressed because they had been ordered to do something they feel is morally wrong
          • They also felt they must be obedient to the authority figure
            • To avoid the uncomfortable feeling of moral strain a person must either shift into an agentic state or refuse to obey
          • To avoid the uncomfortable feeling of moral strain a person must either shift into an agentic state or refuse to obey
        • They also felt they must be obedient to the authority figure
        • Evaluation
          • Offers a good explanation of the findings in Milgram's obedience studies
          • Explains real life events
          • Findings from other studies support the theory
            • Hofling's hospital study found that 21 out of 22 nurses were prepared ot administer twice the dosage of a drug to a patient simply because they were told to by an authority figure
          • It cannot explain individual differences of why some obey and some don't
            • Therefore, more descriptive than explanatory
          • Concepts such as autonomy and agency are hard to define and measure
            • We can only presume that they have taken place because of the behaviour we have observed.
          • There is no evidence for the evolutionary basis of obedience.
            • Cannot be tested as unable to see how obedience developed in our evolutionary past
        • Comparison of theories
          • Social impact theory gives no explanation to the internal desire to be obedient
          • Social impact theory gives no explanation of how upbringing affects obedience
          • Social impact theory can explain Milgram's follow-up studies in terms of immediacy and number
          • Both theories claim that the amount of power the authority figure has will affect levels obedience
          • Both give an adequate explanation of the findings of Milgram's original study.
          • Neither give an adequate explanation of individual differences between people in terms of levels of obedience
          • Agency theory argues that we are innately predisposed to be obedient because of hierarchies in society
          • Agency theory argues that upbringing teaches us to be obedient
          • Agency theory refers to no other factors other than power
          • Agency theory cannot explain the findings of Milgram's follow up studies
        • Both theories claim that the amount of power the authority figure has will affect levels obedience
        • Both give an adequate explanation of the findings of Milgram's original study.
        • Neither give an adequate explanation of individual differences between people in terms of levels of obedience
        • Agency theory argues that we are innately predisposed to be obedient because of hierarchies in society
        • Agency theory argues that upbringing teaches us to be obedient
        • Agency theory refers to no other factors other than power
        • Agency theory cannot explain the findings of Milgram's follow up studies
      • Social Impact theory
        • Latane
        • Three aspects of social influence that affect the level of impact the source has on a target
          • Strength
            • The amount of authority the sources has
            • Strength, immediacy and number all act to multiply the impact sources have on targets
            • If strength, immediacy and number of sources are low compared to targets they exert less social influence
          • Immediacy
            • The proximity of the source to the target
            • Affected by the presence of buffers
            • Strength, immediacy and number all act to multiply the impact sources have on targets
            • If strength, immediacy and number of sources are low compared to targets they exert less social influence
          • Number
            • The ratio of sources to targets
        • Evaluation
          • Research by Milgram into obedience demonstrates the varying impact of strength, immediacy and number
            • Can give a better explanation of the findings of Milgram's follow-up studies than Agency theory
          • The theory can also be used to explain conformity and other forms of social influence
          • The principles of strength, immediacy and number are observed operating in real life settings
          • Unable to describe individual differences
            • It is more descriptive than explanatory
        • Comparison of theories
          • Social impact theory gives no explanation to the internal desire to be obedient
          • Social impact theory gives no explanation of how upbringing affects obedience
          • Social impact theory can explain Milgram's follow-up studies in terms of immediacy and number

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