Obedience: Dispositional Explanations

Question 1

what is the dispositional explanation of obedience?

Answer 1

authoritarian personality

Question 2

who came up with the authoritarian personality?

Answer 2

Adorno et al

Question 3

what is Adorno et al argue that people with an authoritarian personality(AP) had?

Answer 3

• extreme respect for(and submissiveness to) authority
• view society as weaker than it was, so we need strong and powerful leaders to enforce traditional values
• both of these characteristics make people with an AP more likely to obey orders from authority
• show no respect for those of inferior social status
• black and white thinking

Question 4

what are the origins of AP?

Answer 4

• forms as a result of harsh parenting in childhood
• parents give conditional love, their love and affection for their child depends entirely on how they behave

Question 5

what is the parenting type of people with an AP like?

Answer 5

• extremely strict discipline
• expectation of absolute loyalty
• impossibly high standards
• perceived criticism of perceived failings

Question 6

what did Adorno et Al argue that these childhood experiences lead to?

Answer 6

• childhood experiences create resentment and hostility in child
• child cannot express feelings directly against parents as they fear punishment
• fears are displaced onto others who they perceive to be weaker(scapegoating)