Final answer:
The correct answer is d. agentic state. In this state, individuals feel no personal responsibility for their actions as they see themselves simply carrying out orders from an authority figure.
Step-by-step explanation:
When participants enter the agentic state, they feel no responsibility for the outcome of obedience behavior. This psychological concept, identified by social psychologist Stanley Milgram, explains how individuals can obey orders from authority figures even if they conflict with personal conscience. In an agentic state, people see themselves as agents executing someone else's wishes, thus displacing responsibility for their actions.
This concept is critical in understanding behaviors in organized settings, such as the military or in bureaucratic institutions, where hierarchy and obedience are prominent. The agentic state is a part of broader discussions on conformity, authority, and social influence. Emphasizing the sense of disconnectedness from actions when following orders, Milgram's research highlights the power of authority in shaping behavior.
In contrast, other options given like the empathic state, deindividuated state, and routinized state do not have the same emphasis on authority directive. The empathic state involves understanding others' feelings. The deindividuated state refers to a group situation where an individual may feel a sense of anonymity. The routinized state pertains to performing tasks in a habitual or automatic manner without regard to the underlying authority structure.