Explanations for obedience | AQA A-Level Psychology Revision
Updated: Sep 8
For 7182 specification, first teach in September 2025
AQA A-Level Psychology | Free Revision Notes
Estimated study time: 35 minutes
These Explanations for obedience A-Level Psychology revision notes cover the agentic state and legitimacy of authority. The two explanations help psychologists understand why people may follow instructions from someone with recognised authority, even when they would not act in the same way independently. This lesson moves from group influence to obedience, building on your understanding of why people conform. Learning how the explanations work together will help you apply them accurately to unfamiliar situations and develop focused extended responses.
Learning Objectives 🎯
By the end of this revision page, you should be able to:
Define obedience.
Explain the agentic state.
Distinguish the agentic state from the autonomous state.
Explain legitimacy of authority.
Analyse the relationship between legitimacy of authority and the agentic state.
Apply both explanations to unfamiliar situations involving obedience.
Revision Notes đź“š
Explanations for obedience A-Level Psychology revision overview
Obedience is a form of social influence in which a person follows a direct order from someone they regard as an authority figure.
This differs from conformity:
Conformity involves responding to group pressure.
Obedience involves responding to an order from an authority.
The AQA specification identifies two explanations for obedience:
Agentic state
Legitimacy of authority
These explanations are connected. A person may enter an agentic state because they recognise another person as having legitimate authority over them.
The agentic state
The agentic state is a psychological state in which a person sees themselves as acting on behalf of an authority figure.
Rather than viewing themselves as personally responsible for their behaviour, the individual regards the authority as responsible because the authority issued the order.
The term agent is important. An agent carries out another person’s wishes or instructions.
When someone is in an agentic state:
They act on behalf of an authority figure.
They see the authority as responsible for the outcome.
Their sense of personal responsibility is reduced.
They may continue obeying an order that they would not carry out independently.
The explanation does not mean that the person is physically controlled. It describes how they understand their role and responsibility within the situation.
The autonomous state
The opposite of the agentic state is the autonomous state.
In an autonomous state, a person:
Acts according to their own principles.
Sees themselves as responsible for their actions.
Makes decisions independently.
Accepts responsibility for the consequences of their behaviour.
Agentic state | Autonomous state |
The person acts for an authority | The person acts according to their own principles |
Responsibility is placed on the authority | The person accepts personal responsibility |
Behaviour is directed by an order | Behaviour is independently chosen |
Obedience is more likely | Resistance or independent action is more likely |
Understanding the autonomous state will also help when studying why some individuals reject social pressure.
How the agentic state may produce obedience
The process can be explained in four stages:
A person encounters someone they recognise as an authority.
The authority gives a direct order.
The person sees themselves as carrying out the authority’s wishes.
Responsibility is transferred to the authority, making obedience more likely.
Application example
A laboratory supervisor tells an assistant to continue a procedure that the assistant feels uncomfortable carrying out. The assistant continues, reasoning that the supervisor designed the procedure and is responsible for what happens.
This can be explained through the agentic state because:
The assistant is acting on the supervisor’s instructions.
The assistant regards the supervisor as responsible.
The assistant continues with behaviour they may not have chosen independently.
A strong application answer identifies both the instruction and the transfer of responsibility.
Legitimacy of authority
Legitimacy of authority is an explanation of obedience based on a person’s belief that an authority figure has the recognised right to issue orders.
Society is organised through social hierarchies. Different people occupy different positions within these hierarchies, and some roles carry accepted authority.
Examples include organisations in which:
A manager has authority over employees.
A teacher has authority within a classroom.
A senior officer has authority over a junior officer.
A researcher has authority within a research setting.
A person is more likely to obey when they accept that:
The authority occupies a higher position in the hierarchy.
The authority has the right to issue instructions within that setting.
Their own position carries an expectation that they should follow those instructions.
Legitimacy is therefore connected to a person’s role, the authority’s role and the social setting in which the order is given.
Symbols and settings associated with legitimate authority
The perceived legitimacy of an authority may be strengthened by visible or situational signals.
These can include:
An official role.
A recognised institutional setting.
A uniform associated with authority.
Clear differences in status.
The authority’s recognised power to impose rules or consequences.
A uniform does not automatically make every person legitimate. It may act as a symbol of authority, making the person’s higher status more visible.
The influence of uniform and setting is developed further when studying how proximity, location and uniform affect obedience.
Application example
A school’s deputy head instructs students to leave an area of the building. The students follow the instruction because they recognise the deputy head as having the right to enforce school rules.
This demonstrates legitimacy of authority because:
The deputy head occupies a recognised position within the school hierarchy.
The instruction concerns an area over which that role has authority.
The students accept that the deputy head has the right to issue the order.
The answer should focus on the recognised right to command, not merely state that the students obeyed because the deputy head was present.
How legitimacy of authority produces obedience
The process can be summarised as follows:
Society or an organisation establishes a hierarchy.
A person recognises another individual as occupying an authorised position.
The authority gives an instruction within that setting.
The person feels that the authority has the right to give the instruction.
Obedience becomes more likely.
This explanation focuses on why the order is accepted as valid. It does not simply state that one person has more confidence or a stronger personality than another.
The relationship between legitimacy and the agentic state
Legitimacy of authority and the agentic state are separate explanations, but they can operate together.
Legitimacy of authority explains why a person accepts someone else’s right to give an order.
The agentic state explains how the obedient person understands their own role and responsibility while following that order.
The relationship may therefore be represented as:
Recognition of legitimate authority → acceptance of the order → entry into an agentic state → reduced personal responsibility → increased obedience
For example, an employee may recognise a senior manager’s legitimate position. This makes the employee more likely to act as the manager’s agent and regard the manager as responsible for the instructed action.
A high-quality answer should therefore explain the connection:
The authority’s legitimacy gives the order its force.
The agentic state allows the person to carry out the order while placing responsibility on the authority.
Comparing the two explanations
Feature | Agentic state | Legitimacy of authority |
Main focus | How the obedient person views their own role and responsibility | Why the authority is believed to have the right to give orders |
Key idea | The individual acts as an agent for someone else | The authority occupies a recognised position in a hierarchy |
Responsibility | Shifted towards the authority | The authority is accepted as entitled to direct behaviour |
Useful scenario clue | “I was only carrying out their instructions” | “They are in charge and have the right to tell me what to do” |
Opposing idea | Autonomous state | Failure to recognise the person’s authority |
Relationship to obedience | Reduced personal responsibility makes obedience more likely | Acceptance of the authority’s status makes obedience more likely |
Identifying the correct explanation in a scenario
In an application question, look for the reason behind the person’s obedience.
Clues for the agentic state
Look for evidence that the person:
Says they were carrying out instructions.
Places responsibility on the authority.
Acts in a way they would not have chosen independently.
Treats themselves as an agent rather than a decision-maker.
Clues for legitimacy of authority
Look for evidence that the person:
Recognises a social hierarchy.
Refers to the authority’s official position.
Believes the authority has the right to issue the order.
Responds to a uniform, setting or recognised role.
Accepts the authority’s power to enforce rules.
A scenario may provide evidence for both explanations.
Applying both explanations to one situation
Consider the following scenario:
A junior employee is instructed by a senior manager to send a message that the employee believes is misleading. The manager says that the decision has already been approved and that responsibility rests with the management team. The employee sends the message.
Legitimacy of authority can explain the behaviour because the senior manager occupies a recognised position above the employee in the workplace hierarchy.
The agentic state can also explain it because the employee acts on the manager’s behalf and regards the management team as responsible for the decision.
A weak answer would say:
The employee obeys because the manager is in charge.
A developed answer would say:
The manager has legitimacy of authority because their senior role gives them a recognised right to issue workplace instructions. This may cause the employee to enter an agentic state, acting on the manager’s behalf and placing responsibility for the misleading message on management.
Evaluating the explanations
The explanations can work together
A strength is that legitimacy of authority and the agentic state can provide a connected account of obedience.
Legitimacy explains why the individual accepts the authority’s instruction, while the agentic state explains why they may continue obeying despite personal concerns.
This creates a more complete explanation than treating the two ideas as entirely separate.
Obedience is not inevitable
A limitation is that people do not always obey a legitimate authority or remain in an agentic state.
Individuals in the same situation may respond differently:
Some obey.
Some question the order.
Some refuse.
Some accept personal responsibility for their decision.
This suggests that the explanations cannot account for every response. Other factors may also be important, including individual differences in obedience and the presence of social support.
Internal states are difficult to observe directly
The agentic state concerns how a person understands responsibility. This cannot be observed as directly as the person’s behaviour.
A researcher may observe that someone obeyed, but it may be difficult to establish whether they obeyed because:
They transferred responsibility.
They believed the authority was legitimate.
They feared consequences.
Another factor influenced them.
This makes it difficult to distinguish conclusively between different reasons for obedience.
Research must be linked to the explanation
Research findings can support these explanations only when the connection is made clear.
For example, evidence that obedience changes when the authority’s status or setting changes may support legitimacy of authority. Evidence that obedient people place responsibility on the person giving orders may support the agentic explanation.
Simply describing a study does not evaluate the explanation. You must state what the findings show about why obedience occurred.
Distinguishing situational and dispositional explanations
The agentic state and legitimacy of authority focus on the individual’s response to the social situation.
The Authoritarian Personality is different because it is a dispositional explanation. It focuses on characteristics within the individual rather than only the authority and situation.
Situational or social explanation | Dispositional explanation |
Focuses on the authority, hierarchy or circumstances | Focuses on characteristics of the person |
Includes legitimacy of authority and the agentic state | Includes the Authoritarian Personality |
Suggests behaviour may change when the situation changes | Suggests some people may be more likely to obey across situations |
Keeping these approaches separate will help you avoid drifting between explanations in an extended answer.
Hints from the Examiner Reports đź’ˇ
Examiner hint: Use specialist terminology precisely. Successful responses have referred accurately to legitimacy of authority, the agentic state and the autonomous state.
Examiner hint: Explain the relationship between the two explanations. Strong answers show how recognising legitimate authority may lead a person to act as the authority’s agent.
Examiner hint:Â Do not include excessive procedural detail about obedience studies. Select only the evidence needed to explain or evaluate why obedience occurred.
Examiner hint:Â Generic comments about ethics or methodology are unlikely to gain strong evaluation credit unless they are directly linked to the explanation in the question.
Examiner hint: In an application question, do more than repeat that the authority is “in charge”. Explain why their recognised role gives them the right to issue orders within the scenario.
Examiner hint:Â When discussing obedience, keep the answer focused on the wording of the question. A detailed description of research is not a substitute for explaining what the findings show about the agentic state or legitimacy of authority.
Examiner hint:Â For an extended response, effective answers combine accurate knowledge, explicit application and developed discussion. Avoid placing all application in one isolated paragraph.
Common Mistakes ⚠️
Mistake: Defining the agentic state as simply “doing what you are told”
Why this is incorrect:
This describes obedience but does not explain the psychological state involved. The central feature is that the person acts as an agent and places responsibility on the authority.
How to improve:
Include both ideas:
The person acts on behalf of the authority and sees the authority as responsible for the action.
Mistake: Saying that a person in an agentic state has no responsibility at all
Why this is incorrect:
The explanation concerns the person’s perception of responsibility. The individual sees the authority as responsible for the order.
How to improve:
Write that the person’s sense of personal responsibility is reduced or transferred towards the authority.
Mistake: Confusing the agentic state with the Authoritarian Personality
Why this is incorrect:
The agentic state is a psychological state produced within an obedience situation. The Authoritarian Personality is a dispositional explanation based on characteristics of the individual.
How to improve:
Remember:
Agentic state: “I am acting for the authority.”
Authoritarian Personality: “Characteristics of this person make obedience more likely.”
Mistake: Defining legitimacy as an authority being popular or persuasive
Why this is incorrect:
Legitimacy concerns a recognised right to issue orders because of a role or position in a social hierarchy.
How to improve:
Refer to the authority’s official status, institutional role or recognised position.
Mistake: Assuming that a uniform guarantees obedience
Why this is incorrect:
A uniform may signal authority and increase perceived legitimacy, but it does not make obedience inevitable.
How to improve:
Use cautious language:
The uniform may make the authority’s status more visible, increasing the likelihood of obedience.
Mistake: Treating the two explanations as identical
Why this is incorrect:
Legitimacy concerns the authority’s recognised right to command. The agentic state concerns how the obedient person views their own role and responsibility.
How to improve:
Explain the link without merging the concepts:
Legitimate authority may encourage the person to enter an agentic state.
Mistake: Copying the scenario without applying the explanation
Why this is incorrect:
Repeating that “the manager gave an order” does not show why the manager was considered legitimate or why responsibility was transferred.
How to improve:
Connect each scenario detail to psychological knowledge using “because”:
The manager’s senior position gives them legitimate authority because it places them above the employee in the workplace hierarchy.
Mistake: Using generic evaluation
Why this is incorrect:
Statements such as “the research was unethical” do not directly evaluate whether the explanation accounts for obedience.
How to improve:
Focus on explanatory value:
The agentic state cannot explain every response because some people accept personal responsibility and refuse an authority’s order.
Exam-Style Questions ✍️
Question 1
Which one of the following best describes the agentic state?
A. A person acts independently and accepts responsibility
B. A person acts on behalf of an authority and places responsibility on them
C. A person changes their behaviour to gain group approval
D. A person follows information because they want to be correct
[1 mark]
reveal answer and indicative content
Answer: B. A person acts on behalf of an authority and places responsibility on them.
In the agentic state, a person sees themselves as acting on behalf of an authority and regards the authority as responsible for the consequences.
Question 2
Define legitimacy of authority.
[2 marks]
reveal answer and indicative content
Mark scheme
AO1 = 2
2 marks:Â Clear definition referring to the recognised right of an authority figure to give orders because of their position in a social hierarchy.
1 mark:Â Limited or partial definition.
0 marks:Â No relevant content.
Indicative content
Society is organised into social hierarchies.
Certain positions are recognised as having the right to give instructions.
People are more likely to obey someone they regard as a legitimate authority.
Example answer
Legitimacy of authority is the recognised right of a person in a higher position within a social hierarchy to give orders to those below them.
Question 3
Explain one difference between the agentic state and the autonomous state.
[3 marks]
reveal answer and indicative content
Mark scheme
AO1 = 3
Award marks for a clear comparison:
1 mark:Â In an agentic state, a person acts on behalf of an authority.
1 mark:Â In an autonomous state, a person acts according to their own principles.
1 mark:Â Explicit contrast in responsibility, the agentic individual places responsibility on the authority whereas the autonomous individual accepts personal responsibility.
Example answer
In the agentic state, a person sees themselves as acting for an authority and places responsibility for their actions on that authority. In the autonomous state, the person acts according to their own principles and accepts responsibility for what they do.
Question 4
A hospital administrator instructs a junior employee to release information. The employee is concerned but continues because they believe the administrator is responsible for the decision.
Explain the employee’s behaviour using the agentic state.
[4 marks]
reveal answer and indicative content
Mark scheme
AO2 = 4
Award 1 mark each for:
Identifying the employee as being in an agentic state.
Explaining that they see themselves as acting on the administrator's behalf.
Applying this to continuing to release the information despite their concerns.
Explaining that responsibility is displaced onto the administrator.
Example answer
The employee is in an agentic state because they see themselves as carrying out the administrator's instruction rather than acting independently. Although they are concerned, they continue because they regard the administrator as responsible for the decision and its consequences.
Question 5
A sports coach tells the team to leave the training area immediately. The players follow the instruction because they recognise that the coach is responsible for managing training sessions.
Explain the players’ behaviour using legitimacy of authority.
[4 marks]
reveal answer and indicative content
Mark scheme
AO2 = 4
Award 1 mark each for:
Identifying legitimacy of authority.
Recognising that the coach occupies a higher position within the team's hierarchy.
Explaining that the coach has recognised responsibility for managing training.
Linking this legitimate right to give instructions to the players' obedience.
Example answer
The players obey because they regard the coach as a legitimate authority. The coach occupies a recognised position of authority within the team and is responsible for managing training. The players therefore accept the coach's right to tell them to leave and obey the instruction.
Question 6
Explain how legitimacy of authority and the agentic state may work together to produce obedience.
[4 marks]
reveal answer and indicative content
Mark scheme
AO1 = 4
Award 1 mark each for:
A person recognises an authority figure's legitimate right to give orders.
This makes obedience to the authority more likely.
The person may enter an agentic state, seeing themselves as carrying out the authority's wishes.
Responsibility is displaced onto the authority, making continued obedience easier.
Example answer
A person may recognise someone higher in the social hierarchy as having a legitimate right to give orders. This can encourage an agentic shift, so the person sees themselves as acting on the authority's behalf. They therefore place responsibility for the consequences on the authority, making obedience more likely.
Question 7
Two employees receive an instruction from a regional director.
Mina follows the instruction because the director holds a senior position and has the recognised right to direct the team.
Lewis follows the instruction because he believes that the director, rather than he, will be responsible for its consequences.
Explain Mina’s and Lewis’s behaviour using two explanations for obedience.
[6 marks]
reveal answer and indicative content
Mark scheme
AO2 = 6
Award up to 3 marks for each employee.
Mina
1 mark:Â legitimacy of authority.
1 mark:Â the regional director occupies a senior position in the hierarchy.
1 mark:Â Mina recognises the director's right to give instructions.
Lewis
1 mark:Â agentic state.
1 mark:Â Lewis sees himself as acting on the director's behalf.
1 mark:Â he displaces responsibility for the consequences onto the director.
Example answer
Mina's behaviour is explained by legitimacy of authority because she recognises the regional director's senior position and accepts their right to direct the team. Lewis is in an agentic state because he sees himself as carrying out the director's instruction and believes the director, rather than himself, is responsible for the consequences.
Question 8
A headteacher tells a teacher to introduce a new school procedure. The teacher privately doubts that the procedure will be effective but carries it out. The teacher says, “The headteacher makes school policy, so the decision is their responsibility.”
Explain the teacher’s behaviour with reference to legitimacy of authority and the agentic state.
[6 marks]
reveal answer and indicative content
Mark scheme
AO2 = 6
Award up to 3 marks for each explanation.
Legitimacy of authority
The headteacher occupies a recognised position of authority within the school hierarchy.
The teacher accepts that the headteacher has the right to make school policy.
This increases the likelihood of obedience.
Agentic state
The teacher carries out the policy despite privately doubting it.
The teacher sees themselves as acting on the headteacher's behalf.
Saying that the decision is the headteacher's responsibility demonstrates displacement of responsibility.
AQA's previous mark schemes similarly credit recognition of hierarchy for legitimacy of authority and acting on behalf of a higher-status person while feeling less personally responsible for the agentic state.
Example answer
The headteacher has legitimacy of authority because they occupy a recognised senior position in the school hierarchy and have the right to make school policy. The teacher therefore obeys despite privately doubting the procedure. The teacher is also in an agentic state because they see themselves as carrying out the headteacher's decision and place responsibility for it on the headteacher.
Question 9
Discuss the agentic state and legitimacy of authority as explanations for obedience. Refer to the following scenario in your answer.
A security supervisor instructs an employee to prevent visitors from entering a building. The supervisor is wearing an official uniform and is responsible for enforcing the organisation’s rules. The employee follows the instruction and later explains that they were only carrying out the supervisor’s decision.
[16 marks]
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