Agency theory and legitimacy of authority

Agency theory

An explanation for obedience proposed by Milgram in which a person doesn't take responsibility for a behaviour but believes they are acting as an agent for someone else (an authority figure).

Agentic state

Where a person fails to take personal responsibility because they believe they are acting on behalf of an authority figure.

Autonomous state

Where individuals are free to behave according to their own principles and therefore feel personally responsible for their actions.

Agentic shift

Where a person changes from an autonomous state to an agentic one because they perceive someone else to be an authority figure entitled to expect obedience.

Social hierarchy

The division of society by rank or class.

Binding factors

Aspects of the situation that allow the person to ignore or minimise the damaging effect of their behaviour and thus reduce the 'moral strain' they are feeling.

Moral strain

Aspects of the situation that allow the person to ignore or minimise the damaging effect of their behaviour and thus reduce the 'moral strain' they are feeling.

Legitimacy of authority

An explanation for obedience which suggests that we are more likely to obey people who we perceive to have authority over us. This authority is justified by the individual's position of power within a social hierarchy.

Police officer

An example of a person with a position of authority because they have been entrusted by society with certain powers.

Punishment

Those with authority often have the power to issue this. We therefore obey authority out of fear of this, which we learn in childhood.

Destructive authority

When people use their legitimate powers for destructive purposes, ordering people to behave in ways that are callous, cruel, stupid and dangerous (e.g. Hitler).

Uniform

A factor that may help to depict a person as having legitimate authority.

Destructive obedience

Obedience to immoral, unethical demands that cause harm to others e.g. My Lai massacre.

Milgram

The psychologist who proposed agency theory as an explanation for obedience.

Hofling

A study that questions agency theory as an explanation for obedience as nurses didn't experience anxiety as they handed responsibility to the doctor.

Blass and Schmitt

Research support for agency theory and legitimacy of authority. They found that students blamed the legitimate authority for the participants' behaviour in Milgram's study.