Agency Theory By Stanley Milgram

Learning Objectives By the end of the session you will be able to: Describe Agency Theory using appropriate terminology Evaluate Agency theory using ‘CASTLES’

THIS THEORY IS BASED ON THE CONCEPT OF AN Agency Theory THIS THEORY IS BASED ON THE CONCEPT OF AN “AGENTIC STATE” This is a state of mind that people shift in to

Agency theory Early humans found that by working in groups with leaders (rather than autonomously) they had a better chance of survival Evolutionary theory suggests that such a hierarchical social system has been passed on genetically

Milgram suggested that children learn to act agentically from their parents and schools

Milgram (1974) claims that our social systems encourage high levels of obedience.

Key terms Agentic state Autonomous state Moral strain

Agentic state According to Milgram, this means that when a person obeys someone in authority they become their agent and give up their free will e.g. in Milgram’s experiment, the pps (teacher) became the agent of the researcher following out his order and obeying his will (imagine an estate agent selling a house on the orders of the owner)

Agency theory suggests That when participants are giving shocks the person feels they are acting as the agent of the person in charge.

Agentic State Milgram suggested that two things must happen for a person to enter the Agentic state The person giving the orders must be seen as legitimate The person being ordered about is able to believe that the authority will accept responsibility for what happens

Making an agentic shift is a coping mechanism Cognitive psychologists would say we have developed a schema for avoiding confrontation. In Milgram’s study, slipping into an agentic state whereby you do as your told and don’t think, helps you to cope with any conflicts, and avoid any direct confrontation.

Autonomous State This is the opposite to an agentic state - this is where an individual is free thinking and able to make their own decision

Autonomous State Autonomy means being under ones own control and being in charge of yourself. HAVING FREE WILL

Moral Strain This means feeling uncomfortable with your behaviour because you know it is wrong and it goes against your own values – Milgram’s pps felt moral strain when they continued to obey even though they felt it was wrong, but felt unable to disobey How did they display moral strain?

Evaluation Milgram’s Agency theory can offer a credible explanation for the actions of war criminals who claim they were ‘only following orders’ such as at the My Lai massacre in Vietnam

Strengths  CASTLES Milgram’s experiment can be used to support agency theory. It provides evidence that people continue to give electric shocks to another participant just because they have been told to Other experiments into obedience such as Hoffling’s have also found very high levels of obedience to immoral orders. They also support agency theory.  

Weaknesses  CASTLES There is no physical evidence that such a state exists. For example there are no Brain scans or e.e.g.’s that show when a person is or isn’t in the agentic state. Many of Milgram’s participants do seem to have been able to move out of the state and refuse at some point. The theory doesn’t explain how or why this may happen. The theory is very vague in many ways. Milgram is not clear with regard to the cognitive or the physiological features of this agentic state. French and Ravens social power theory provides an alternative theory of why people obey.

CASTLES