Summary
Summary Social Influence Essay Plans: Agentic state and legitimacy of authority
- Course
- Institution
Detailed Social Influence Essay Plans that outline both the AO1 and AO3 detailed for revision purposes
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
kylieephraim
Content preview
● A01 Agentic state and legitimacy of authorityAgentic state: a person feels no personal responsibility for their actions,
they are acting on behalf of another person. The shift from autonomy to
being an 'agent' is called the agentic shift and happens when we perceive
someone else as an authority figure and we respect their orders. This
person has power due to their social position.
- In Milgram’s study, ppts reminded that they were reminded of
being responsible for their own actions. None prepared to obey.
Another example is a variation whereby ppts would instruct an
assistant to press switches. 92.5% shocked to the max. As they’ve
absolved themselves of responsibility, believing that as we are
acting on someone else's behalf, blame for any negative
consequences ultimately lies with them. Milgram proposed that a
person may stay in their agentic state due to binding factors,
which are aspects of a situation that allow the person to ignore or
minimise the effect of their behaviour, reducing the moral strain.
Legitimacy of authority: a person who is preconceived to be in a position
of social control within a situation. People obey as they recognise their
authority as morally right since Most societies are structured
hierarchically. People in certain positions hold authority over the rest of
us e.g teachers, police officers etc. The authority they have is legitimate in
the sense that it is agreed by society.
- Milgram (1963) demonstrates the power of the legitimacy of
authority with the scientist/ professor/ experimenter. With the
uniform, this displays a high status within the social hierarchy due
to extensive education and respect for science. So, all ppts went to
300v
● A03 strengths and weaknesses
Alternative explanation of participant's behaviour in Milgram's study- using
situation to express sadistic impulses: An alternative explanation of the
behaviour displayed in Milgram's study is that the participants showed signs of
cruelty and the participants used the situation to express their sadistic
impulses. This is demonstrated in the Stanford prison experiment as within just
a few days, the guards became increasingly abusive towards prisoners who were
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller kylieephraim. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $9.47. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
83684 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now