Dispositional Factors Flashcards
What did Adorno (1950) believe?
That unquestioning obedience is a psychological disorder
What do especially obedient people have?
An authoritarian personality
Features of an authoritarian personality?
Exaggerated respect for authority
Contempt for those with inferior social status
Stereotypical views of others
What cause an authoritarian personality?
Harsh parenting that involves strict discipline, expectation of absolute loyalty and severe criticism
What does harsh parenting create?
A resentment towards parents that can’t be expressed as consequences feared. Feelings are then placed on others seen as weaker
What did Adorno investigate in 1950?
Investigated unconscious attitudes of 2000 white Americans
What was developed in adornos study?
Scales, including the F scale that had statements like “obedience and respect are the most important virtues”
Adorno’s f scale results
Those with high f scores identified with the strong, were contempt of weak and conscious of statuses. Also had a fixed view of others.
LIMITATION: social identity theory offers a complete version
During ww2 demand displayed obedient, anti-Semitic behaviour. It is unlikely that the majority possessed authoritarian personality. S.I.T is more realistic, argues that they identified and adopted views
LIMITATION: politically biased
F scale measures the tendency towards extreme right wing ideology even tho left wing authoritarianism also insists complete obedience. Not a complete explanation.
LIMITATION: lacks validity
Items worded in same direction so just measures tendency to agree.
Researchers also knew test scores and studies aim when they interviewed participants, may cause bias
LIMITATION: based on correlations
Adorno measured many variables and found significant correlations between them. This does not mean one causes the other
