explanations of obedience

Agentic state

A mental state where an individual sees the,selves acting as an agent of an authority figure

autonomous state

Individuals acting upon their principles and feel responsible for their actions

Agentic shift

Movement from autonomous to agentic state in the presence of an authority figure

Legitimacy of authority

Suggests we are more likely to obey those who we perceive to have authority over us eg police officers

It can be communicated through uniforms

Strengths

Milgram showed participants acted with obedience in an agentic state when they questioned the experimenter accepts responsibility from harm to the learner.