It is the end of the school day and Freddie is pushing other students in the bus queue. “Stop it, will you?” protests one of Freddie’s classmates. “You can’t tell me what to do!” laughs Freddie. At that moment, Freddie turns to see the deputy head, wea

Model Answer:
Legitimacy of authority refers to the perception that an authority figure has the right to give orders due to their recognised role in society. Freddie’s behaviour can be explained by this, as he obeyed the deputy head, who represents legitimate authority within the school environment. The high-visibility jacket acts as a symbol of authority, reinforcing Freddie’s perception of the deputy head’s power.

The agentic state explanation suggests that individuals see themselves as acting on behalf of an authority figure, which reduces their personal responsibility. Freddie’s obedience may be due to this shift into the agentic state, where he views the deputy head as being responsible for his actions, allowing him to comply without feeling accountable.

One strength of the legitimacy of authority explanation is its empirical support from Milgram’s study. (Point) Participants obeyed the experimenter, who was perceived as a legitimate authority figure due to his lab coat and institutional setting. (Because) This suggests that perceived authority strongly influences obedience, as seen in Freddie’s response to the deputy head. (Why) However, this explanation cannot account for disobedience. (Counterargument) In Milgram’s study, 35% of participants disobeyed despite recognising the experimenter’s authority, suggesting other factors, such as personality, play a role.

A limitation of the agentic state explanation is its reductionist approach. (Point) It focuses solely on situational factors, ignoring dispositional factors like an individual’s moral reasoning or personality. (Because) This is problematic because it oversimplifies obedience and cannot explain why some individuals resist authority even under pressure. (Why) However, it remains a valuable explanation for understanding the psychological processes that lead to obedience in specific contexts, such as Freddie’s behaviour. (Counterargument)