Compare the agency theory with the social impact theory as an explanation of obedience.

The three golden rules to comparison in Psychology:

*
*
*
Similarities:

Application to the Social Impact Theory Comparison point Application to the Agency Theory

Useful to society in that they may help predict and Use to society The agency theory employs the idea that demonstrates
prevent future atrocities. The social impact theory power of authority figures in the Second World War and
uses a mathematical formula by which predictions Abu Ghraib
can be made to help society control its members
across all cultures.

Shows the impact of others in the environment Offer an explanation for Milgram’s findings Shows the power of being in an agentic state

Constantine Sedikides and Jeffrey Jackson (1990)
conducted a field experiment at a zoo in New York,
where visitors were asked not to lean on a railing.
The researchers manipulated the strength of the
source by dressing the confederate as either a zoo
keeper (58% obedience) or in a t shirt and shorts
(35% obedience). Obedience also declined when the
visitors are further away from the person making the
request (61% obedience when they are in the same
room and 7% obedience when in an adjacent room).
In conclusion, obedience was greater in a smaller
group of one or two visitors compared to a group of
five or six.
Supporting evidence The agentic theory is supported by Milgram’s 1962 study.
In this study he found out that 100% of participants would
administer a shock of 300V to a confederate as a
punishment for making a mistake on a word learning task
and 65% would go right up to the final 450V, beyond the
shock labelled ‘danger, extreme shock’. This suggests
Milgram’s suggestion that in the face of legitimate authority
people are highly likely to carry out orders, despite high
levels of moral strain.

Differences:

Application to the Social Impact Theory Comparison point Application to the Agency Theory

Less relevance as it was never specifically designed Relevance to why we obey (think about any prior Less relevance as it was never specifically designed to
to explain obedience. research that was directly into obedience) explain obedience. Has more relevance to why we obey as
it arose as a direct result of research into obedience

Offers more of an explanation as its formula can work More of an explanation - is one more of a circular Is rather circular as it claims we obey authority as we are
in all situations argument than the other? agents of authority.

Answer the following exam question on lined paper:

Compare the agency theory with the social impact theory as an explanation of obedience (6 marks)
The Agency Theory and the Social impact theory both provide an explanation of obedience while also having characteristics that makes both theories
similar as well as different. Both theories are useful to society in that they may help and predict and prevent future atrocities.
Since both theories illustrate an explanation regarding obedience, they both help us understand and predict future events. The social Impact theory
employs mathematical formula by which predictions can be made to help society control its members across all cultures. The agency theory demonstrates
power of authority figures in the second world war and Abu Ghraib. Another similarity between the two theories is that they both offer an explanation for
Milgram’s findings as Agency shows the power of being in an agentic state and the social impact theory shows the impact of others in the environment.
Furthermore, they both contains supporting evidence that supports the theories as a whole. The social impact theory has supporting evidence conducted
by Constantine Sedikides and Jeffrey Jackson (1990) that was held in a zoo in New York. The experiment involved a request to the visitors to not lean on
the railings and the results were manipulated by dressing the confederate in a zoo keeper uniform which resulted in 68% obedience and in a t shirt and
shorts which had 35% obedience. The agency theory also had supporting evidence that involved Milgram’s 1963 study. In this study he found out that 100%
of participants would administer a shock of 300V to a confederate as a punishment for making a mistake on a word learning task and 65% would go right up
to the final 450V.
Both these theories also demonstrate differences which sets the two theories apart from each other. One difference includes the fact that the Agency
theory has more relevance to why we obey than the Social Impact theory as it arose as a direct result of research into obedience, whereas Social Impact
Theory was never specifically designed to explain obedience. The social impact theory also offers more of an explanation than the Agency theory as its
formula can work in all situations whereas Agency is rather circular as it claims we obey authority as we are agents of authority.