Explanations for Obedience

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The Agentic State

Agency theory says that people will obey an authority when they believe that the authority will take responsibility for the consequences of their actions. This is supported by some aspects of Milgram's evidence. For example, when participants were reminded that they had responsibility for their own actions, almost none of them were prepared to obey. In contrast, many participants who were refusing to go on, did so if the experimenter said that he would take responsibility

Another exmaple of the agentic state involved a variation of Milgram's study, whereby participants could instruct an assistant (confederate) to press the switches. In this condition, 92.5% shocked to the maximum - and deadly - 450 volts. This shows that, when there is less personal responsibility, obedience increases.

Legitimacy of Authority Figure

People tend to obey others if they recognise their authority as morally right and/or legally biased (i.e. legitimate). This response to legitimate authority is learned in a variety of situations - for example in the family, school and workplace. With regard to Milgram's study, the experimenter is seen as having legitimate authority as he has scientific status.

Situational Factors

The Milgram experiment was carried out many times, whereby Milgram varied the basic procedure (changing the IV). By doing this, Milgram could identify which situational factors affected obedience (the DV). Obedience was measured by how many participants shocked to the maximum 450 volts (65% did so in the original study).

Authority Figure Wearing a Uniform

Milgram's experimenter (Mr. Williams) wore a laboratory coat - a symbol of scientific expertise - which gave him a high status. But then the experimenter dressed in everyday clothes, obedience was very low. The uniform of the authority figure can give them status.

Status of Location

Milgram's obedience experiment was conducted at Yale, a prestigious university in America. The high status of the university gave the study credibility and respect in the eyes of the participants - thus making them more likely to obey.

When Milgram moved his experiment to a set of run down offices, rather than the impressive Yale University, obedience dropped to 47.5%. This suggests that status of location effects obedience.

Proximity of Authority Figure

People are more likely to obey an authority figure who is in close proximity (i.e. nearby). In Milgram's study, the experimenter was in the same room as the participant (i.e. teacher). If the authority figure is distant, it is easier to resist their orders. When the experimenter instructed and prompted the teacher by telephone from another room, obedience fell to 20.5%. Many participants cheated and missed out shocks or gave less voltage than ordered to by the experimenter.

Dispositional Explanation

Authoritarian Personality

Adorno felt that personality (i.e. dispositional) factors, rather than situational (i.e. environmental) factors could explain obedience. He proposed that there was such a thing as an authoritarian personality - a person who favours an authoritarian social system and, in particular, admires obedience to authority figures. One of the various characteristics of the authoritarian personality was that the individual is hostile to those who are of inferior status, but obedient to people with higher status.