About the lecture

In this lecture, we discuss some of the variations of the original obedience study conducted by Milgram and think about how these led him to develop the theory of the ‘agentic state’, focusing in particular on: (i) a series of conditions in which Milgram varied the proximity between participant and confederate; (ii) some conditions which focused on the relationship between the participant and the authority figure (the experimenter) as a variable; (iii) the theoretical ideas Milgram developed from his research into obedience, focusing in particular on his concept of the ‘agentic state’.

About the lecturer

Dr Stephen Gibson has been at York St John University since September 2005, before which he undertook his doctoral research in the Department of Psychology, Lancaster University. His research uses discursive and rhetorical approaches to explore a range of social psychological topics, including citizenship, national identity, dis/obedience and representations of peace and conflict.