Social influence - Obedience

why do people obey explanations A•••••• S•••• (situational explanation)

agentic state - mental state where we feel no responsibility for our behaviour because we believe we are acting for an authority figure. Agent feels moral strain when they feel their actions are wrong. Binding factors can help reduce moral strain (situational explanation)

Autonomous state - mental state where we believe we are independent and feel free to behave how we want to

why do people obey explanations- L••••••••• of A•••••••• (situational explanation)

legitimacy of authority - we are more likely to obey people who we perceive to have authority over us. characterised by a social hierarchy learnt from birth . Problems arise when there is destructive authority (situational explanation)

evaluations for explanations for obedience (authoritarian personality) dispositional explanation

authoritarian characteristics - show extreme respect for those in authority and look down on inferior people(believers in social status) blame different ethnic groups for the evils of the world.

occurs from harsh parenting, discipline, loyalty and conditional love

evaluations for explanations for obedience (Agentic state)

explains cultural differences - can explain why nazi soldiers obeyed hitler

however cant explain why some people disobeyed in milgrams study 35%

evaluations for explanations for obedience (Legitimacy of authority)

supported by milgram as 65% of ppl did obey

doesnt explain why 35% of people didnt obey in milgram

evaluation for AP

not possible for all nazi germans to have had an authoritarian personality

only correlation not causation with F-scale study

poor question design, designed for ppt to agree to everything and they couldnt differentiate authoritarian personalities with conformists

study on obedience

factors affecting obedience PLU