Authoritarian personality Flashcards
What is the AP and who proposed it?
Adorno: The AP= an attitude of great respect to authority figures ( personality type:more prone to obeying authority) whilst ignoring weak+hostility to those who alter conventional ideas e.g. would be more sub to those of higher status+dismissive to inferiors
When did Adorno suggest AP is formed?
Childhood-harsh upbringing e.g. high standards, severe criticisms, expectations etc
What are some AP characteristics?
- Extreme respect+submissiveness to authority 2. Show disgust towards people perceived as inferior 3. Highly conventional attitudes towards sex, race, gender. 4. Believe need strong/powerful leaders to enforce traditional values 5. Uncomfy w/ uncertainty- everything=either right or wrong no in between.
What is the F-scale? Describe it.
Fascism scale- used to measure AP- measures responses on several diff components of authoritarianism e.g. political views, prejudice + their upbringing. Those who score high: identified w/ ‘strong’ ppl+disrespectful to weak. Very conscious of own+others status + had cog style where there was no fuzziness between categories of ppl, with fixed distinctive stereotypes of other groups.
Those who have AP are more likely to…
OBEY!
Adorno’s study aim and sample?
To see if particular personality type associated w/ high obedience lvls - used 2000 m/c white Americans. Several scales used including F-scale (example of statement on scale: Obedience and respect for authority are most important virtues children should learn)
Adorno’s study procedure?
Gave sample questionnaires that asked q’s on upbringing+political views. Presented them w/ statements & had to circle word indicating agreement lvl e.g. S agree, agr, disagr etc. (Example of statement:Obedience and respect for authority are most important virtues children should learn)
Adorno’s study findings?
Ppl who had high f-scale scores-identified w/ strong ppl+generally disrespectful to weak. Very conscious of own/others status, showing excessive/extra respect to those of higher status. Adorno found: AP ppl=had cog style where- no fuzziness between categories of people, w/ fixed+distinctive stereotypes of other groups. There was a strong + correlation between authoritarianism + prejudice.
Conclusion of Adorno’s study?
Ppl w/ AP= ml to obey authority figures
(AO3) SR for AP?
Adorno: found ppl w/ AP=ml to obey. Milgram & Elms: follow up interviews found: fully obedient p’s scored highly on F-scale+ had less relationship w/ fathers during childhood. + as IVOT + shows clear link between high f scale score + poor rs w/ parents. However, doesn’t explain cause effect rs- may be third variable as reason for obedience instead of AP. Such as levels of education-often means lack of knowledge on political/general issues- thus being more arrogant w/ knowledge.
(AO3) Why is it a limitation that the AP lacks internal validity?
Adorno’s F-scale= not measuring what supposed to, measuring political views. Also, some psychologists have argued that it measures people’s tendency to agree to everything (acquiescence bias) rather than the person having AP. Disadv the results could be representing alternative factors (e.g. political views) rather than obedience. Thus DVOT.
(AO3) What assumption does the AP have that makes it too deterministic?
Assumes harsh parenting causes person to have AP+will obey. deterministic- assumes just because harsh upbringing =definitely have the AP. Doesn’t account for those- good upbringing in loving family- still develop the AP. FM If AP= caused by traumatic childhood relations w/ parents- cannot explain the behaviour of the Nazi soldier as it’s highly unlikely that every Nazi had the same upbringing by the parents.- as very limited explanation+can’t explain all instances of obedience.
(AO3) Limitation- better explanations of why ppl may obey such as…?
Social identity theory. Tajfel: proposed idea that people identify themselves as belonging to a particular social group. We favour our own group (in group) over any group to which we do not belong (out group). We maximise the similarities within the group, and the differences between our group and others, e.g. provide norms. This can explain the obedience of the Nazi’s as they all had similar attributes within the group, so they wanted to eliminate anyone who wasn’t similar to them (Jews). + provides a better explanation of why people obey.
