dispositional explanations obedience- social influence Flashcards
what is the authoritarian personality
adorno- authoritarian persnality show extreme respect for authority, view society as weaker than once was, believe need strong and powerful leaders enforce traditional values- more liekly to obey from source of authority
show contempt for those of inferior social status- fuelled by inflexible outlook on world- everything either right or wrong
uncomfortable with uncertainty
people who are other are responsible for the ills of society- convenient target for authoritarians who likely to obey orders from authority figures even when orders are destructive
what are the origins of authoritarian personality
adorno- forms in childhood as a reuslt of harsh parenting- features strict discipline an expectation of asbolute loyalty, impossibly high standards and severe criticism of perceived failings- conditional love
childhood experiences create resentment and hostility in child, child cant express feelings directly against parents because fear punishment, fears displaced onto others who perceive to be weaker- scapegoating
explains hatred towards people considered to be socially inferior or who belong to other social groups- psychodynamic explanation
what was adornos research
studied more tan 2000 m/c white americans and their unconscious attitudes to other ethnic groups
developed measurement scales- fscale- ‘obedience and respect for authority are the most important virtues for children to learn’
people with authoritiarian learnings had certain cognitive style no fuzziness between categories of poeple
fixed and distinctive sterotypes about other groups
found strong positive correlation between authoritarianism and prejudice `
what is research support (eval)
milgram supports authoritarianism
milgram and elms interviewed small sample of people who ppd in original obedience studies and been fully obedient
all completed f scale
20 obedient pps score higher on overall f scale than comparison group of 20 disobedient
support view obedient people may show similar characteristics to poeple who have authoritarianism
researchers analysed individual subscales of f scale obedient pps had number of characteristics unsuual for authoritarians- did not glorify fathers did not experience unusual levels of punishment in childhood and ==no hostle attitudes to mothers
link between the two is complex
obedient pps unlikle authoritarians in so many ways authoritarianim unlikely to be useful predictor of obeidnece
what is limited explanation (eval)
authoritarianism cant explain obedient behaviour in majority of countrys population
pre war germany millions displayed obedient behaviour despite they must have differeed in personalities
unlikely they could all possess it
alternative view is they identified with antisemitic nazi state and scapegoatd the outgroup of jews a social identity theory approach
limited because alternative explanaion more realistic
what is policital bias (eval)
f scale only measures tendency towards extreme form of right wing ideology
christie and jahoda- f scale is politically biased interpretation of authoritarian personality, point out reality of left wing authoritarian in shape of russian bolshevism
emphasise importance of complete obedience to political authority
not comprehensive dispositional explanation that accounts for obedience to authority across political spectrum
