1. Social Psychology – Lesson 4
Theories of obedience – Agency theory

2. Recap + check homework APRC + evaluation should be complete
What are the main differences between each variation
Telephonic instructions
Ordinary man
Run down office block

3. Introduction to Exam technique
Evaluate – 8 marks (already covered in the previous session)
PEC x 4 with a conclusion
Explain two evaluation points of ___ study (4 marks)
2 marks per evaluation point
Point (one mark) and evidence to justify your point (one mark) x 2
Describe – 5 marks
Provide descriptive points – read the question properly. If it only asks you for results don’t provide information about the procedure!

4. Define – usually 1 mark
Provide the definition – full sentence
Compare – 4 marks
One similarity
One difference
Point – a difference is…….
Evidence from study number one
Evidence from study number two

5. Application question – e. g
Application question – e.g. John and Katie are discussing obedience and Katie doesn’t understand why 65% of the participants in Milgram’s study obeyed the experiment. Using your knowledge of obedience explain why the participants may have obeyed. Please provide two reasons. (4 marks)
You must refer to the scenario in the answer
Point – reason why they may have obeyed
Justification – elaborate on your point
Point – a second reason why they may have obeyed

6. Agency theory
Theories of Obedience

7. Discuss this scenario Two countries are at war
A lieutenant in the American army orders soldiers to shoot occupants of a village
It is assumed that the men of the village should be there and the women and other civilians would be at the market
When the soldiers arrive the village was bustling with men, women, children, babies and older people.
Discuss what you think happens next.

8. My Lai
Can you provide reasons of why this may have happened?

9. Those who obeyed Those who refused Most of the dozen soldiers
E.g. Robert maples
Why?
Quote from the trial:
He did know he could be court-martialled for refusing to obey an order. 
I was ordered to go in there and destroy the enemy. That was my job on that day….I carried out the orders that I was given, and I do not feel wrong in doing so, sir.”
Agents?

10. Agency theory Mechanism that ensures obedience.
Sorting sheet – on the learning space. Read the description and then put the boxes into order. 1 to 5.

11. Agency theory (Milgram, 1973)
Milgram suggests that people are agents of others in society because that is the way society works. People have evolved to obey those in higher positions.
This ensures social harmony

12. How does the agentic shift work?
Agency theory
Autonomous
Agentic state
Agentic shift
Moral strain due to order against moral judgement
Responsibility is displaced
Moral strain is reduced
Will obey order

13. How else can someone reduce moral strain?
Did 100% of participants obey the experimenter in Milgram’s study up to 450V?
35% of people removed themselves from the situation and refused to continue

14. Evaluation of a theory – make notes on each point
We don’t have to use all of them
We can choose the strongest arguments
Supporting evidence
Opposing theories
Applicability
Reductionism

15. Supporting study - Agency Theory
Milgram (1963) How does this study provide evidence for the concepts of the theory?
What evidence do we have that the participants may have been experiencing moral strain?
Evidence of autonomous state?
Evidence of agentic shift? What did they say to displace the responsibility?
Hofling (1966)
21 out of 22 followed the doctor’s orders (administer twice the daily dosage of a drug to a patient)
Some of the nurses justified their behaviour due to the hierarchy of authority at the hospital.
Write notes on how this supports the theory? Use key words from the theory.

16. Opposing theories
Agency theory- a claim that provides a description of an internal mental process that can’t be measured
No evidence to suggest that we have evolved to obey those in higher position
Motivation issues aren’t explained by agency theory
There are other possible explanations. When another explanation is equally possible, this makes the theory less valid
French and Raven (1959) Five bases of power that motivate and influence behaviour
Legitimate power
Reward power
Referent power
Expert power
Coercive power
Examples ?
Legitimate authority – those who we perceive as higher up the hierarchy
Social norms dictate that we should obey those with legitimate authority
Reward – those offering social emotional, economical rewards to others for doing what is wanted or expected
Positive of negative
Referent
Concern of likeability
Flattery and charisma – to enhance influence
Expert – based on knowledge experience and special skills (perceived superior skills)
Credentials – able to convenience subordinates to trust him/her
Perception of expertise does not have to be genuine
Coercive - threat of force to gain compliance (physical, emotional, political)

17. Applicability- usefulness
2 minute discussion
How could society use this theory to ensure atrocities such as Mai Lai are less likely to occur?
Example: Soldiers could be made aware of the theory and they could be trained to report and refuse to carry out orders that go against the Geneva convention. This may stop other soldiers from committing war crimes due to obedience.

18. Reductionism
In psychology, reductionism refers to a theory that seems to over-simplify human behaviour or cognitive processes, and in doing so, neglects to explain the complexities of the mind or behaviour.
Breaks behaviour into the smallest parts
Simplest explanation
Focuses on just one aspect of behaviour

19. Individual differences are the variations from one person to another on variables such as self-esteem, the rate of cognitive development and personality
Reductionism
Mail Lai – some soldiers refused to shoot (Robert Maples)
Hofling (1966) 1 nurse refused to obey the order
Agency theory does not explain Individual differences – obedience is a more complex process than is being explained by this theory
Obedience can occur for many different reasons (i.e. personality type, gender and situation) however this theory does not provide details about these reasons and explains that it is simply the order from an authority figure triggers the agentic shift into the agentic state.

20. H/W Using the fact sheet on the learning space
H/W Using the fact sheet on the learning space. Draw a diagram to illustrate this theory. Provide definitions for the words in bold.

21. H/W – bring together the evaluation points in a table
Strength or weakness
Why? Justify. Provide evidence