Describe and Evaluate Milgrams Agency Theory

Milgrams agency possible action essentially enunciates that you the state of mind you ar in determines if youre obedient or non. He argued that normally we operate in the self-reliant state, where you assert control over yourself and what we do. An fount of this is when faced with danger, most people forget turn away to try and neutralise conflict. Even if you decide not to crack away, this is still the autonomous state because youre deciding what to do. There is also the componentic state which says you are subconsciously acting as an agent to some potentiality blueprint and that you do what they recite you because you feel as if you are an agent of that person.An example of this would be during the trial of national socialists Adolf Eichmann said, I was erect following orders to kill Jews. This clear illustrates that he only did what he did, followed orders, because he was told to and he felt like an agent to Adolf Hitler. Milgram also posed the idea of something ca lled deterrent example strain. This is when you obey an order although it goes against your goods, you feel that what you are doing is wrong just now you have no choice. An example of this is in the try of obeisance carried out(a) by Milgram.The participants objected to shocking learners by saying that they wouldnt do it and consistently standing up to avoid it, but still carried on anyway. The first cogency to Milgrams turn over is that his theory has concrete application. Practical application means it faecal matter be applied to explain substantial life conducts. An example of this is during the trial of Nazis Adolf Eichmann, he said, I was just following orders to kill Jews. This shows he was in the Agentic State because he saw himself as an agent of Hitler when helping him to complete the utmost Solution.An different advantage is that in Milgrams dissect of obedience the regard had tasteal validity. This is when the experiment is carried out so well that the part icipants debate that it is real. One participant, Fred Pozi, showed physical signs of distress indicating that he thought he was actually harming a man. He stood up multiple propagation during the experiment, was holding his head in his give and was nervous laughing throughout the experiment. This indicates moral strain because he did carry out what the researcher asked, but this behaviour clearly shows that he was under stress and dejected with what he had been asked to do.There is also evidence to persist this theory which serves as a strength. In his theory of obedience Milgram found that 65% of participants went to 450 volts and 100% went to 300 volts. From this he cerebrate that Ameri washstand men would obey an authority figure even if they harmed a stranger. As the participants obeyed the authority figure it shows that they were acting as agents to help the researcher with his study, this illustrates the agentic state. On the other hand there are disadvantages to Milgr ams study as well, for example Milgrams study lacked ecological validity.Ecological validity is when the study takes place in an environment that is well-known(prenominal) to the participants. The experiment took place in a lab and Fred Pozi, a plumber, would be to a greater extent comfortable in a house or bathroom. As he was not in his innate environment his behaviour might have changed because of it. This will therefrom reduce validity because he would not be behaving in a natural way. Another disadvantage to Milgrams study is that he deceived his participants. He did not tell them what the study was actually researching and there for skint ethics.However he did perform a sufficient debriefing at the end of the study which rectified the problem. There is an alternative theory to the Agency Theory called, The amicable Powers theory. The Social Powers theory states that authority figures use recognise king to gain obedience. Reward motive is when an authority figure uses a avenge to get the person to obey. For instance when a parent says if you do your homework you can go to your friends house. The Social Powers theory says it is power and not the mental state of mortal that leads to obedience, Milgrams theory is incomplete.