Dispositional Personality-Authotarian Personality

Question 1

Explain what Authoritarian Personality is?

Answer 1

-it is a internal explanation of obediance
-it focuses on the idea that certain personality characteristics associates with a higher level of obediance
-it is a collection of personality traits which develop due to strict parenting during a individuals childhood
-e.gextremely strict discipline,expected loyalty,impossibly high standards,criticism towards failings
-It includes extreme respect and submission towards percieved authority as they view them as superior
-They would disapprove of individuals perceieved as low status and have direct anger towards them as they view them as infereior.
-This was assesed using a f-scale questionaire by Adorna which was given to 2000 participants
-Those who scored highly on the questionaire had a authoritorian personality and displayed the characteristics above.

Question 2

Explain RTS by Milgrims and Elms.

Answer 2

-They interviewed the participants who took part in Milgrims OG experiment
-asked them to complete a F-Scale Questionaire which would measure the levels of authortarianism.
-found higher levels of auhtoritarian personality within those classfied as obediant compared to the ones classified as defiant
-It suggest that authoritarian personality is associated with obediance.

Question 3

Explain the evaluation of Social Desirability.

Answer 3

-Participants may have exaggerated there fascist views on the F-scale questionaire
-to present themselves in the best possible way
-At the time it was complete (after WW2) they may have wanted to maximise there fascist views to look more obedient
-Therefore Adorno didnt measure what he was set out to measure.

Question 4

What are the 3 evaluations for Authoritarian Perosnality?

Answer 4

Milgrim and Elms,social desirability and alternative explanation

Question 5

Explain the AO3 of Alternate Explanation.

Answer 5

-A alternate explanation is situation factors
-obediance could be due to external factors for example obediance increases due to power of uniform
-rather than internal factors for example authoritarian personality where obediance levels are developed during the childhood of a individual.
-So therefore obediance may not be due to authoritarian personality.