Obedience: Authoritarian (Dispositional)

Question 1

Who proposed this theory using research as support?

Answer 1

Adorno et al (1950)

Question 2

What sample did Adorno use in his research?

Answer 2

2,000 college students from America

Question 3

List the 3 research methods used.

Answer 3

1) Case studies (e.g. the Nazis)
2) Psychometric testing (e.g. the F-scale questionnaire)
3) Clinical interviews (e.g. revealing aspect of their childhood)

Question 4

What did Adorno use to measure authoritarianism?

Answer 4

A questionnaire called the ‘F-scale’.

Question 5

What does the ‘F’ stand for in ‘F-scale’?

Answer 5

Fascism

Question 6

What type of scale did Adorno use in his questionnaires?

Answer 6

5 point Likert scale.

Question 7

What did a high score on the F-scale represent?

Answer 7

High authoritarianism

Question 8

Give 3 examples of the statements that would appear on the F-scale.

Answer 8

1) Obedience and respect for authority are the most important virtues children should learn
2) Sex crimes deserve more that imprisonment (e.g. public whipping or worse)
3) Human nature being what it is, there will always be war and conflict

Question 9

List 3 characteristics that would be associated with authoritarianism.

Answer 9

1) Hostility towards anyone they see as different to them and their in-groups and dealing with those who disobey with aggression
2) Submissive to authority figures with belief others should do the same
3) Obsession with ranks and status

Question 10

What conditions did Adorno believe that authoritarianism developed under?

Answer 10

• Having parents who demanded absolute obedience
• This suppressed the ability to express their hostility towards them for fear of punishment
• Their hostility gets displaced towards minority groups due to seeing them as safer targets.

Question 11

What is the process of an individual displacing their anger towards minority groups called?

Answer 11

Scapegoating

Question 12

Define ‘reaction formation’.

Answer 12

It is a defence mechanism someone uses when they feel something however outwardly show the opposite.

Question 13

How does reaction formation relate to an authoritarian personality?

Answer 13

If someone has an authoritarian personality they may outwardly idolises their parents whilst inwardly fearing and loathing them.

Question 14

Using the acronym ‘EACH’, evaluate 2 ‘evidence’ points.

Answer 14

P - Adorno (1950) supports
E - He found that those who scored highly on the F-scale shared similar traits
E - And so supports the idea of an authoritarian personality
P - Elms (1998) supports
E - He interviewed 2 groups of ppts in Milgram’s study (20 defiant/20 obedient) and found that the obedient group were less close to their fathers during childhood
E - And so supports the idea that authoritarian personality is a result of childhood

Question 15

Using the acronym ‘EACH’, evaluate 2 ‘how’ points.

Answer 15

P - Adorno (1950) has low reliability
E - The information on ppts’ childhood was drawn from their own recollections (retrospective data)
E - And so the authenticity of the results cannot be certain as people’s memories can be inconsistent so harder to compare
P - Adorno (1950) has low validity
E - Used self-report data in F-scale questionnaires
E - And so people are likely to give answers they deem socially desirable which would not be an accurate reflection of their true personality

Question 16

Are there any applications of the authoritarian personality?

Answer 16

P - No
E - Whilst it may offer some explanation for the events of WW2, it isn’t an accurate explanation for a whole nation
E - Therefore, it is extremely unlikely that a whole nation possesses an authoritarian personality

Question 17

Using the acronym ‘EACH’, evaluate 2 ‘criticisms’ points.

Answer 17

P - Researcher bias has low validity
E - Adorno was looking for certain traits in those who had a high F-score in follow-up interviews
E - And so this would cause researcher bias due to subjectivity of interpreting something that isn’t standardised
P - Attitudes could be described as old-fashioned
E - Adorno’s study took place in the 1950s and societal values have changed since then
E - Won’t be as applicable to modern day values and so less credible of an explanation for obedience now