factors affecting obedience: personality

Question 1

what are people with an authoritarian personality like?

Answer 1

• they have exaggerated respect for authority and are submissive to it
• they express hatred for people of inferior status (such as ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ individuals)
• authoritarians tend to follow orders, and view “other” groups as responsible for society’s ills

Question 2

how is an AP formed?

Answer 2

• from childhood, through severe criticism, harsh parenting, strict disciplne and conditional love recieved from parents
• these experiences lead to resentment in the child but they cannot express their feelings directly against their parents in fear of punishment
• therefore, feelings are displaced onto others who are weaker (scapegoating)

Question 3

what is the authoritarian personality?

Answer 3

a type of personality that adorno argued made individuals more likely to obey authority figures

Question 4

locus of control

Answer 4

refers to the extent which individuals believe they can control events affecting them

Question 5

whats the difference between internal and external locus of control?

Answer 5

• internal locus of control = where a person believes they have some control over events in their lives
• external locus of control = where a person believes that life is determined by environmental factors which they cannot influence

Question 6

what did spector find out about locus of control?

Answer 6

[spector] found that individuals with a high internal locus of control were less likely to conform than those with a high external locus of control, but only in situations of normative social influence, where individuals conform to be accepted.

Question 7

social dominance