Dispositional Explanations For Obedience

Question 1

What did Adorno argue/believed?

Answer 1

High level of obedience was a psychological disorder

The cause was in our individual personalities

Question 2

What was Adorno’s sample?

Answer 2

2000+
Middle class
White
Americans

Question 3

What was a measure did Adorno used to test authoritarianism in people?

Answer 3

F-scale

Question 4

What did the F-scale actually measure?

Answer 4

Tendency towards fascism (a characteristic of authoritarianism)

Question 5

People who scored high on the F-scale test were…

Answer 5

More likely to be obedient to authority

Identified w/ strong
Contemptuous of the weak

Question 6

Name 6 characteristics of an authoritarian:

Answer 6

• extreme respect for authority
• show contempt to people perceived having inferior social status
• highly conventional attitudes towards sex, race, gender
• view society as ‘going down for dogs’
  Believe we need strong + powerful leader
• traditional views -> love for country, religion, family
• inflexible in their outlook

Question 7

What are the aspects of parenting which Adorno believed led to authoritarian personalities?

Answer 7

• script discipline
• expectation of absolute loyalty
• impossible high standards
• conditional love
• severe criticism of perceived failings

Question 8

What did the aspects of parenting do to children?

Answer 8

Create resentment and hostility in the child

Which they displace onto others whom perceived to be weaker

Leading to people disliking the child