Explanations of why people obey

Autinimous state: Under own control and take responsibility for our actions

Agentic state: Directed by an aitority figure and assume they will take responsibility for our actions

• When under influence of authority figure we switch to agentic state
• During Milgrams experiment if a Pps was reminded they took responsibility many stopped whereas if assured the experimenter would take responsibility most carried on

• Anything which reduces or prevents the impact of consequence
• If there are buffers you are more likely to obey
• In milgrams study if the buffers were removed, obedience levels dropped

- eg. When the teacher had to press the learner's hand against a metal plate for the shock, obedience dropped to a rate of 30%

• Once you have committed to do something seemingly reasonable, it is difficult not to continue onto something with an increase in cruelty because the difference is so minimal
• In milgrams study, the first shock was 15 volts and because of the 15 volt increase, Pps found it difficult not to administer the next shock

• If the environment or appearence of the authority figure seem legitimate, we are more likely to obey
• In Milgram's study, the experimenter wore a lab coat and the experiment was held at Yale University
• When the experiment was done in a run-down office, obedience dropped to 48%
• When the experimenter wore casual clothes instead of a lab coat, obedience dropped to 20%

• A person with an authoritarian personality is more likely to obey
• Characteristics include:
  • Intolerence of ambiguity
  • Hostility to inferior people
  • Servile to superior people
  • Rigid and inflexible
  • Upholder of conventional values
• This can be caused by a harsh, punishing hostile upbringing
• Therefore their attitude is redirected to minority groups