Developed through a series of experiments (grounded in research).
Milgram believes we are all capable of extreme obedience which serves as evolutionary societal function. To live in a hieratical society, we must give up our free will and obey the few people at the ‘top’.
Milgram proposed two states: One autonomous state and one agentic. The autonomous state is where a human acts with free will making their own decisions. When given an instruction the mind switches to the agentic where we act as an agent of the authority figure.
While in the agentic state ppt felt moral strain when ordered to do something immoral. Blind obedience leads to distress. We may use defence mechanisms to help us deal with consequences of our actions.
In the agentic state the individual displaces responsibility onto authority figure, this is diffusion of responsibility. We are socialised into obeying at a young age: parents & teachers use reward systems for obedience.
| Strength | Weakness |
| Supporting study – evidence from Milgram’s original study showed an authority figure ordering ppts to give electric shocks. 65% obeyed till 450v – supports idea as ppts said they were doing what told.
Hofling – 21/22 nurses would obey the doctor to give a higher dose – demonstrates that nurses would give higher doses because the doctor is a competent authority figure. Hoffling has higher eco validity as was carried out in a natural setting of natural situation – less chance of demand characteristics and behaviour more natural Application – theory suggests that we have free willing until we are given are given an instruction and our minds switch to an agentic state acting as an agent of the authorities figure – explains why events like holocaust occurred and help prevent future incidents. |
Criticism- Milgram’s study was carried out in yale university lab which is an artificial environment – behaviour is not natural of obedience.
Milgram also refutes his theory – 35% of his ppts didn’t go up to the 450v line and 5 stopped after 300v limit. – ppts repelled against the agentic state when given orders. Alternative theory authoritarian personality – obedience is due to people with authoritarian personalities that they are more likely to obey. – this makes importance of parenting and personality. Reductionist – it reduces complex psychological phenomena to something simple ignoring the role of people free will or personality – ignores the wider social context and cannot simplify human interaction. |