Psychology
Social
Agency Theory
Describe autonomous state
• Individuals see themselves as having power
• See actions as being voluntary
• Have free will to make their own decisions .
Why can agency theory be argued to be reductionist?
• Doesn't consider the strength/immediacy/number of sources, personality, culture,
etc.
• Doesn't explain why not everyone experiences agentic shift
Describe agentic shift
• When the individual shifts from an autonomous to agentic state, displacing the
liability of their actions on the authority figure.
• May occur to resolve moral strain
Describe agentic state
• Act as agents for authority figures
• Their own consciences are not in control
• Lose free will to make own decisions
• Can experience moral strain
Describe moral strain
• Experiencing anxiety, usually because you are asked to do something that goes
against your moral judgement
How does Milgram explain agentic shift
• Obedience is a survival trait that enabled tribes of early humans to flourish.
• Disobedient early humans didn't survive the dangers of the prehistoric world, their
genes haven't been inherited.
, Credibility of agency theory
• His variations study supports the idea that situational factors make ppts more or
less obedient.
• Burger's study supports his theory - proving Milgram's original results are still valid
in modern society
Objections of agency theory
• In Milgram's study, moral strain was shown by the ppts who obeyed, instead of the
ones who disobeyed.
• Milgram's research lacks ecological validity - unrealistic tasks.
• Meeus and Raaijmakers - replicated Milgram with insults instead of shocks, more
realistic.
Differences of agency theory
• Social impact theory - everyone applies social force to everyone else to get what
they want. Doesn't include moral strain.
• Adorno - some people have an authoritarian personality which is threatened by
people who are different and enjoy following rules.
Applications of agency theorys
• Agentic shift helps reduce prejudice and discrimination since authority figures can
tell people to be tolerant of outsiders. Like celebrities telling students to not do
drugs or crime.
Burger's experiment
Aim of Burger's experiment
• To find out if the same results as Milgram’s 1963 study re-occur when the study
is replicated with modern participants in 2009
IV/DV of the study
• IV - Base condition with the model refusal condition
• DV - The obedience measured by how many volts the last shock to be delivered was,
before the ppt refused to continue
What was the sample?
• 70 participants - mixture of men and women.
• Volunteer sampling - paid $50
Social
Agency Theory
Describe autonomous state
• Individuals see themselves as having power
• See actions as being voluntary
• Have free will to make their own decisions .
Why can agency theory be argued to be reductionist?
• Doesn't consider the strength/immediacy/number of sources, personality, culture,
etc.
• Doesn't explain why not everyone experiences agentic shift
Describe agentic shift
• When the individual shifts from an autonomous to agentic state, displacing the
liability of their actions on the authority figure.
• May occur to resolve moral strain
Describe agentic state
• Act as agents for authority figures
• Their own consciences are not in control
• Lose free will to make own decisions
• Can experience moral strain
Describe moral strain
• Experiencing anxiety, usually because you are asked to do something that goes
against your moral judgement
How does Milgram explain agentic shift
• Obedience is a survival trait that enabled tribes of early humans to flourish.
• Disobedient early humans didn't survive the dangers of the prehistoric world, their
genes haven't been inherited.
, Credibility of agency theory
• His variations study supports the idea that situational factors make ppts more or
less obedient.
• Burger's study supports his theory - proving Milgram's original results are still valid
in modern society
Objections of agency theory
• In Milgram's study, moral strain was shown by the ppts who obeyed, instead of the
ones who disobeyed.
• Milgram's research lacks ecological validity - unrealistic tasks.
• Meeus and Raaijmakers - replicated Milgram with insults instead of shocks, more
realistic.
Differences of agency theory
• Social impact theory - everyone applies social force to everyone else to get what
they want. Doesn't include moral strain.
• Adorno - some people have an authoritarian personality which is threatened by
people who are different and enjoy following rules.
Applications of agency theorys
• Agentic shift helps reduce prejudice and discrimination since authority figures can
tell people to be tolerant of outsiders. Like celebrities telling students to not do
drugs or crime.
Burger's experiment
Aim of Burger's experiment
• To find out if the same results as Milgram’s 1963 study re-occur when the study
is replicated with modern participants in 2009
IV/DV of the study
• IV - Base condition with the model refusal condition
• DV - The obedience measured by how many volts the last shock to be delivered was,
before the ppt refused to continue
What was the sample?
• 70 participants - mixture of men and women.
• Volunteer sampling - paid $50
