SI6. Dispositional Explanations For Obedience (AP)

Question 1

Dispositional Explanation

Answer 1

• internal explanation
• personality factors, or individual reasons, why someone obeys
• e.g. Authoritarian Personality

Question 2

Authoritarian Personality

Answer 2

• individuals with AP are more likely to obey
• hierarchy: obey superiors; demand obedience from inferiors
• ‘black and white’ thinking; don’t challenge stereotypes - prevents uncertainty.
• measured using F-Scale (participants rate extent of agreement with a statement using a Likert-style scale)

Question 3

Psychodynamic Theory and AP

Answer 3

• personality traits stemmed from childhood influences
• child with overly-harsh parents would ‘displace’ anger unto ‘inferiors’ - scapegoating
• consciously idolise parents; subconsciously fear/despise them; created NEED to displace anger

Question 4

• Eval: Methodological Issues with F-Scale

Answer 4

• susceptible to acquiescence bias (P’s tend to agree with statements when in doubt); therefore distorting ‘true’ findings - subsequently F-Scale lacks validity and reliability

Question 5

• Eval: lacks ecological validity

Answer 5

• can’t explain real-life examples of mass obedience
• highly unlikely that entire Nazi-Germany population and AP; but instead shared same struggles, and instead displaced fear about future onto ‘inferior’ group of people