Lesson 4.1.1.3

4.1.1.3 Explanations for obedience: agentic state and legitimacy of authority Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 1

20 questions

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Lesson 4.1.1.3, Explanations for obedience: agentic state and legitimacy of authority: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Psychology (7182), Unit 1: Introductory topics in Psychology, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. In Milgram's theory, what is an agentic state?

    • A state of anxiety that appears when a person is asked to harm another person, and which removes all sense of personal responsibility
    • A state in which a person acts only on their own moral judgement and refuses all orders, accepting full responsibility for every action
    • A state in which a person sees themselves as the agent of an authority figure and shifts responsibility for their actions onto that figure
    • A state in which a person follows the consistent view of a minority group and resists the pressure of the majority in every situation

  2. Which state is the opposite of the agentic state in Milgram's explanation of obedience?

    • The autonomous state, in which a person takes responsibility for their own actions
    • The compliant state, in which a person publicly agrees with a group
    • The minority state, in which a person maintains a consistent alternative view
    • The legitimate state, in which a person accepts an authority's hierarchy

  3. What did Milgram find in his baseline study of obedience?

    • Everyone refused to continue after the first shock was given
    • About 65 per cent of participants went to the maximum shock level of 450 volts
    • About 10 per cent of participants went to the maximum shock level of 450 volts
    • Nobody went beyond 150 volts in any version of the study

  4. Which factor best describes legitimacy of authority in Milgram's explanation?

    • The person giving orders is the same age as the participant
    • The person giving orders has been seen to be friendly and kind
    • The person giving orders is a peer who shares the participant's goals
    • The person giving orders is accepted as having the right to do so, usually

  5. A participant in an obedience study says they feel the experimenter, not themselves, is responsible for the harm they are causing. Which explanation fits this best?

    • Minority influence, because the participant is resisting the group
    • The autonomous state, because the participant is taking full responsibility
    • Authoritarian personality, because the participant likes rigid rules
    • The agentic state, because responsibility has been shifted to the authority figure

  6. In an obedience study, a participant obeys because the researcher wears a lab coat and speaks with confidence. Which explanation best accounts for this?

    • Informational social influence, since the participant is uncertain about the shock levels and relies on the researcher for information
    • Normative social influence, since the participant wants to be liked by the researcher and fears disapproval if they refuse to continue
    • The legitimacy of authority, since the lab coat and confident manner signal the researcher's right to give orders
    • Locus of control, since the participant prefers to be guided by others and believes outcomes are controlled by the researcher

  7. Which situation would be most likely to show obedience because of legitimacy of authority?

    • A customer changes a choice after hearing a shop assistant's advice on a new product, having no previous knowledge of the item
    • A nurse follows a doctor's instructions about medication in a hospital where the doctor holds clear medical authority
    • A friend agrees to go to a party to fit in with their group of friends, even though they would prefer to stay at home that evening
    • A pupil copies a classmate's answer because they are unsure of the question and assume the classmate must be right about it

  8. Which of the following is the best evaluation of the agentic state as an explanation of obedience?

    • It has been tested with thousands of participants in many countries, and the results were the same in every single study
    • It explains all obedience in every culture, so it is fully general and needs no reference to individual differences or situations
    • It shows that obedience is caused by genetic differences between individuals, which fixes how each person responds to authority
    • It explains why people feel less responsibility, but it does not explain why some people in the same situation refuse

  9. A researcher argues that legitimacy of authority cannot explain obedience in a situation where an authority figure has no real power. Which finding would best support this view?

    • Obedience falls when the authority figure is seen to lack a real position in the hierarchy
    • Obedience rises when the authority figure is a stranger in the street, who has no real position but seems to act with confidence
    • Obedience only occurs when the authority figure is also a friend of the participant, who shares their goals and values
    • Obedience is the same whatever the authority figure's position, because people respond only to the instruction given

  10. According to Milgram's explanation, why do people become obedient in a hierarchy?

    • Individuals in a hierarchy never question their own moral views
    • Individuals in a hierarchy are socialised to accept the authority of those above them
    • Individuals in a hierarchy must be told the reason for each instruction
    • Individuals in a hierarchy are always aware that they have no choice but to obey

  11. In a study of obedience, a participant says they continued because they believed the researcher was responsible for ensuring the experiment was safe. Which explanation is most relevant?

    • Minority influence, since the participant was persuaded by a consistent alternative view
    • Informational social influence, since the participant had no information about the shocks
    • Legitimacy of authority, since the participant accepted the researcher's responsibility for the experiment
    • Normative social influence, since the participant wanted to fit in with other participants

  12. Which pair correctly matches the explanation to its central idea?

    • Agentic state: a fixed personality type that never changes; legitimacy of authority: a lack of any social support in the situation
    • Agentic state: acting on one's own moral views; legitimacy of authority: acting for a peer who shares the same goals
    • Agentic state: seeing oneself as the instrument of another's will; legitimacy of authority: accepting a person's right to give orders
    • Agentic state: a desire to be liked by others; legitimacy of authority: a desire to be right about the correct answer

  13. A researcher designs a study in which the authority figure is a stranger with no clear position. Which prediction about obedience is most consistent with the legitimacy explanation?

    • Obedience will rise to 100 per cent because participants will feel they must help the stranger
    • Obedience will fall because the stranger lacks the legitimacy that a recognised position provides
    • Obedience will be the same as in a study with a recognised authority
    • Obedience will rise because strangers are more likely to be obeyed than known people

  14. A psychologist claims that the agentic state explains Milgram's findings better than the idea that people are simply cruel. Which evidence best supports this claim?

    • Participants refused every instruction once they reached 150 volts
    • Participants never expressed any concern about the learner's welfare during the study
    • Participants often said the experimenter was responsible, and some became distressed
    • Participants all enjoyed giving the shocks and asked for higher levels

  15. Which statement about obedience is consistent with the agentic state?

    • People always act according to their own moral views whatever the situation, so instructions from others rarely change what they do
    • People may act against their own moral views once they see themselves as carrying out another's instructions
    • People obey only when they are in a group of similar people, because the group is the only source of social rules they accept
    • People only obey when they are paid to do so, so payment is the only factor that changes how they respond to instructions

  16. Which situation illustrates the autonomous state rather than the agentic state?

    • A worker changes their view to match a team because they want to be liked
    • A worker follows a rule because they fear losing their job
    • A worker refuses an instruction from a manager because they believe it is wrong and accepts responsibility for their refusal
    • A worker follows a manager's instruction to shred documents because they feel it is the manager's decision

  17. A study on obedience varies the authority figure's position in a hierarchy. Which result would best support the legitimacy explanation?

    • Obedience is higher when the authority figure is known to be at the top of a relevant hierarchy
    • Obedience is higher when the authority figure is a child who is seen to be in charge of the experiment for the day
    • Obedience is higher when the participant is alone with the authority figure, since there are no other people to share responsibility
    • Obedience is the same regardless of the authority figure's position, because the hierarchy has no real effect on people's behaviour

  18. A participant in an obedience study remains calm and refuses to continue after realising the learner is in danger, saying they do not want to be responsible. Which explanation best fits the refusal?

    • The agentic state, because the participant believes the experimenter's wishes are the reason for continuing the procedure
    • Authoritarian personality, because the participant has a rigid personality that follows the rules of any authority figure
    • The autonomous state, because the participant accepts personal responsibility and acts on their own judgement
    • Informational social influence, because the participant is uncertain about how dangerous the shocks are and wants more information

  19. Which is the strongest criticism of explanations for obedience based on the agentic state and legitimacy of authority?

    • They rely entirely on evidence from non-human animals, and so cannot be applied to any group of human participants
    • They have no research support from any laboratory or field studies, so their predictions have never been tested directly
    • They do not fully explain why individuals differ in obedience in the same situation
    • They only apply to obedience in children and not adults, since the processes described develop only during childhood

  20. Which of these would most likely reduce obedience according to the legitimacy of authority explanation?

    • The instruction coming from someone with no recognised position above the participant
    • The instruction coming from a doctor working in a hospital
    • The instruction coming from a senior figure in a recognised hierarchy
    • The instruction coming from a teacher working in a school

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