Agency theory

**Agency theory \n **

• Autonomous: In the Autonomous State we perceive ourselves to be responsible for our own behaviour so we feel guilt for what we do
• Agentic: In the Agentic State we perceive ourselves to be the agent of someone else’s will; the authority figure commanding us is responsible for what we do so we feel not guilt.

We perceive some people to be “authority figures”. These people may carry symbols of authority (like a uniform) or possess status (like rank). An order from an authority figure triggers the agentic shift into the Agentic State.

We are socialised into these states

Agentic state is how we manage moral strain

Defence Mechanisms

• Denial
• Avoidance
• Degree involvement
• Helping the learner

Evolution might have given us a predisposition towards agency but obedience is also strengthened by our upbringing. This is an example of nature and nurture in

psychology.

The Holocaust

Agency Theory suggests that obedience is a natural human impulse and therefore, yes, obedience to genocidal orders could happen anywhere.

• Meeus & Raaijmakers (1986) found similar results in liberal Holland to what Milgram found in 1960s America. However, this study used a less distressing punishment (insults, not electric shocks).

Supporting studies

• Milgram
• Blass 1990
• Also has face validity & explains real life situations

Weakness

• Difficult to test experimentally
• Circular logic
• Does not explain individual differences
• Difficult to explain evolution of agentic state
• More a description than an explanation