Lesson 4.1.1.3

4.1.1.3 Explanations for obedience: agentic state and legitimacy of authority Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson 4.1.1.3, Explanations for obedience: agentic state and legitimacy of authority: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Psychology (7182), Unit 1: Introductory topics in Psychology, written with Revision Ninja.

Host it live on the board and students join with a game code on their own devices, or revise alone with Free Play. The answers are revealed in the game.

Host this setFree Play

The 20 questions

  1. What term describes feeling like an instrument of authority and shifting personal responsibility?

    • Legitimate authority
    • Autonomous state
    • Agentic state
    • Authoritarian personality

  2. What is the psychological state opposite to the agentic state in Milgram's theory?

    • Autonomous state
    • Legitimate state
    • Authoritarian state
    • Compliant state

  3. What percentage of participants reached the maximum 450-volt shock in Milgram's baseline study?

    • 85%
    • 65%
    • 35%
    • 50%

  4. What term describes accepting that someone has the right to give orders?

    • Agentic shift
    • Social proof
    • Internal locus
    • Legitimacy of authority

  5. Which concept explains why a person blames an experimenter for harmful actions they performed?

    • Legitimate authority
    • Social support
    • Autonomous state
    • Agentic state

  6. Which obedience explanation applies when a researcher's uniform and confident manner signal the right to command?

    • Agentic state
    • Authoritarian personality
    • Legitimacy of authority
    • Social support

  7. Which real-world dynamic best illustrates obedience through legitimacy of authority?

    • Siblings arguing over toys
    • Nurse following doctor
    • Friends sharing opinions
    • Colleagues debating a policy

  8. What is a key limitation of the agentic state explanation for obedience?

    • Lacks empirical support
    • Overestimates culture
    • Ignores social norms
    • Ignores disobedience

  9. Which situational variable in Milgram's research directly relates to the authority figure wearing a lab coat?

    • Uniform
    • Location
    • Group size
    • Proximity

  10. According to social psychological theory, how do individuals learn to accept authority hierarchies?

    • Spontaneous maturation
    • Childhood socialisation
    • Random conditioning
    • Genetic inheritance

  11. In Milgram's paradigm, believing the experimenter is responsible for safety reflects which concept?

    • Social inhibition
    • Autonomous state
    • Legitimacy of authority
    • Informational influence

  12. What best defines the agentic state in obedience research?

    • Experiencing moral panic
    • Maintaining personal autonomy
    • Acting as another's instrument
    • Challenging social norms

  13. What effect on obedience is predicted if an authority figure is an unrecognised stranger?

    • Participants become autonomous
    • Obedience will fall
    • Obedience remains unchanged
    • Obedience will rise

  14. Which observation supports the agentic state over simple cruelty in Milgram's study?

    • Refusing to participate
    • Ignoring the learner
    • Participant distress
    • Enjoying the shocks

  15. What can occur when a person enters the agentic state?

    • Rejecting all commands
    • Violating personal morals
    • Loss of hearing
    • Increased personal guilt

  16. Which situation demonstrates the autonomous state?

    • Shifting responsibility
    • Following orders blindly
    • Refusing wrong instructions
    • Blaming the experimenter

  17. Which term describes the shift from independent behaviour to feeling like an agent of authority?

    • Agentic shift
    • Legitimate transition
    • Moral strain
    • Autonomous shift

  18. Which explanation applies when a participant refuses to continue, citing personal responsibility?

    • Agentic state
    • Legitimacy of authority
    • Autonomous state
    • Normative influence

  19. What is a key limitation of agentic state and legitimacy explanations?

    • Ignoring cultural norms
    • Lacking empirical support
    • Ignoring individual differences
    • Overestimating lab settings

  20. Which factor reduces obedience according to legitimacy of authority?

    • Unrecognised authority figure
    • Wearing a uniform
    • University setting
    • Giving clear orders

All AQA Psychology quizzes