PAPER ONE: SOCIAL INFLUENCE
TOPIC: Social psychological factors
A01:
Social psychological factors = influences of others on an individual's behaviour
Agentic state = where we feel no personal responsibility for our behaviour as we believe
ourselves to be acting for an authority figure
- An agent does experience moral strain but feel powerless to disobey
Autonomous state = being independent and free to behave according to their own principles
- Shift from autonomy to agency = agentic shift
- Occurs when a person is in charge/higher in social hierarchy
Binding factors = aspects of the situation that allow the person to minimise the effect of the
behaviour and reduce the moral strain they are feeling
Legitimacy of authority = the degree to which individuals are seen as justified in having
power over others
- Authority people have is legitimate in the sense that it is agreed by society
- Destructive authority = abuse of power
A03:
X - Legitimate authority figures may differ culturally
Kilman & Mann replicated Milgram’s study in Australia and 16% of p’s shocked at the max
voltage
In Germany = 85% continued to the max voltage
Shows different societies follow alternative hierarchical structures, children may be
socialised differently to be more/less obedient
✓ - Research support in explaining Milgram’s high obedience rates
Blass & Schmitt asked students to watch footage and suggest who was responsible for the
harm caused to learner, they named experimenter
Suggest the scientist was at the top of the social hierarchy and therefore had legitimate
authority
I&D - NOMOTHETIC APPROACH, attempts to provide general principles for human
behaviour when people are observed responding to the orders of a legitimate authority figure
✓ - Real world application
Kelman & Hamilton argue the My Lai massacre can be understood in terms of the power
hierarchy of the US army
Legitimacy of authority could help us prevent such real-life war crimes in the future possibly
though education so people challenge legitimate authority rather than obeying mindlessly
,
TOPIC: Social psychological factors
A01:
Social psychological factors = influences of others on an individual's behaviour
Agentic state = where we feel no personal responsibility for our behaviour as we believe
ourselves to be acting for an authority figure
- An agent does experience moral strain but feel powerless to disobey
Autonomous state = being independent and free to behave according to their own principles
- Shift from autonomy to agency = agentic shift
- Occurs when a person is in charge/higher in social hierarchy
Binding factors = aspects of the situation that allow the person to minimise the effect of the
behaviour and reduce the moral strain they are feeling
Legitimacy of authority = the degree to which individuals are seen as justified in having
power over others
- Authority people have is legitimate in the sense that it is agreed by society
- Destructive authority = abuse of power
A03:
X - Legitimate authority figures may differ culturally
Kilman & Mann replicated Milgram’s study in Australia and 16% of p’s shocked at the max
voltage
In Germany = 85% continued to the max voltage
Shows different societies follow alternative hierarchical structures, children may be
socialised differently to be more/less obedient
✓ - Research support in explaining Milgram’s high obedience rates
Blass & Schmitt asked students to watch footage and suggest who was responsible for the
harm caused to learner, they named experimenter
Suggest the scientist was at the top of the social hierarchy and therefore had legitimate
authority
I&D - NOMOTHETIC APPROACH, attempts to provide general principles for human
behaviour when people are observed responding to the orders of a legitimate authority figure
✓ - Real world application
Kelman & Hamilton argue the My Lai massacre can be understood in terms of the power
hierarchy of the US army
Legitimacy of authority could help us prevent such real-life war crimes in the future possibly
though education so people challenge legitimate authority rather than obeying mindlessly
,
