Specification
- Theories of obedience, including agency theory and social power theory.
Agency Theory
Milgram’s agency theory is a social psychology theory that explains the relationship between individuals and obedience to authority. It suggests that people have a tendency to transfer control of their actions to an authority figure (agentic shift), leading them to obey even when it conflicts with their personal values or beliefs. The theory was developed by psychologist Stanley Milgram and was based on his famous obedience experiments conducted in the 1960s. The theory highlights the power dynamics at play in obedience and highlights how individuals can become “agents” of authority, carrying out actions they might not otherwise engage in.
Agentic shift is a concept in social psychology that refers to the transfer of personal responsibility to an authority figure. It occurs when individuals believe that they are acting on behalf of an authority, rather than as autonomous agents. This shift in responsibility allows individuals to justify their actions as being outside of their control, and as a result, they may be more likely to comply with requests or directives from an authority, even if they would not have acted in the same way on their own.
Evaluation
Strengths
- Supporting evidence comes from Milgram’s (1963) study which showed that 65% of his participant behaved agentically and shocked the learner to 450 volts.
- Agency theory can be applied to explain the acts of genocide like the Holocaust in which the soldiers behaved agentically and blindly obeyed without question and murdered millions of Jews.
Weaknesses
- Charismatic leadership (House, 1976) suggests that it is the traits of the leader that are important in gaining obedience and not just the presence of the authority figure as agency theory suggests.
- Milgram’s agency theory does not consider individual differences in personality therefore it is an incomplete explanation of what influences a person to obey.
Social Power Theory
Social power theory is a concept that describes the various ways in which individuals or groups can exert influence or control over others in a social setting. It highlights the ways in which power is distributed and exercised within a society, and the ways in which power can be used to shape the thoughts, behaviours, and experiences of others.
There are several types of social power, including:
- Coercive power: The use of force or threats to control others.
- Reward power: The use of incentives or positive outcomes to encourage compliance.
- Legitimate power: The power that comes from holding a recognised social or institutional position, such as a political leader or a police officer.
- Expert power: The power that comes from having specialised knowledge or skills.
- Referent power: The power that comes from being admired or respected by others.
Social power is not just about the exercise of control over others, but also about the ways in which power relations shape the experiences and opportunities of individuals within a society. It is often associated with structural inequalities, such as those based on race, gender, or socioeconomic status, and can play a significant role in shaping individual experiences and outcomes.
Social power theory is important for understanding the ways in which power dynamics shape social relationships, institutions, and societies, and for identifying the ways in which these dynamics can be challenged and transformed to create a more equitable and just world.
Evaluation
Strengths
- Deindividuation can explain behaviour in crowds at the time of fighting and conflict which is supported by Festinger et al, so may be more appropriate than social power theory.
- Milgram (1963) provides evidence to show that individuals follow authority figures although he does not fully explain whole group behaviour.
- Social power theory can be applied to society as soldiers in the Holocaust may have perceived their officers to have legitimate power as the officers were in an appointed position of authority therefore ensuring obedience from the soldiers to carry out their orders.
Weaknesses
- Coercive power requires surveillance otherwise power decreases and group leaders may not always be present to monitor their members, so social power theory cannot explain all aspects of group behaviour.
- Social power theory as studied by French and Raven (1959) is difficult to operationalise therefore cannot always be measured accurately, so it may not be supported by reliable evidence.
- French and Raven claim that obedience is influenced by the type of power the authority figure possesses which is not the only explanation of obedience. Alternatively, Milgram’s (1963) agency theory suggests that being in an agentic state and giving up free will to an authority figure will make a person obedient.
Past Paper Questions
- Define the following types of power. (a) Coercive power (1) (b) Expert power (1) (c) Legitimate power (1) January 2017
- Identify which type of social power has the largest spread of scores in Table 1. (1) January 2018
2 Markers
- Justify Social Power using reasons. (2) January 2019
- Explain one weakness of social power theory. (2) January 2019
- Describe ‘agentic state’. (2) October 2019
- Describe, using agency theory, why the nurses may have followed the instructions to administer incorrect medication for patients. (2) January 2017
- Justify, using social power theory, two reasons why Marco reached these conclusions. (2) January 2019
- Explain one weakness of social power theory. (2) January 2019
- Describe the term ‘agentic state’ as used within agency theory. (2) October 2019
4 Markers
- Explain two strengths of agency theory. (4) October 2019
- Explain one strength and one weakness of social power theory. (4) January 2020
- Explain one strength and one weakness of agency theory. (4) October 2016
- Explain how effective agency theory is in accounting for obedience to authority. (4) June 2016
- Explain two strengths of agency theory. (4) October 2019
- Hiromi was on the bus going to work when a uniformed police officer boarded the bus. The police officer asked all the passengers to leave and wait on the footpath. Hiromi left the bus and waited on the footpath. (a) Describe, using agency theory, why Hiromi left the bus and waited on the footpath. (4) October 2020
- Explain two strengths of agency theory as an explanation for why Hiromi left the bus and waited on the footpath. (4) October 2020
8 Markers
- Evaluate social power theory as an explanation of obedience. (8) June 2017
- Evaluate agency theory as an explanation of obedience. (8) June 2018
- Assess whether social power theory is a complete explanation of obedience. (8) October 2018
12 Markers
- Evaluate how effectively social power theory can explain group behaviour. (12) October 2016
Evaluate how effectively agency theory could be used to support Nisa and Tobin’s findings. (12) January 2018