Social Influence: Dispositional Explanation of Obedience 24-25 updated Flashcards
What type of explanation is the dispositional explanation?
Internal
Why is the dispositional explanation considered an internal explanation?
It focuses on personality characteristics
What is suggested about the certain personality characteristics in relation to obedience levels?
Having certain personality characteristics may make someone MORE likely to obey.
What type of personality is the dispositional explanation?
Authoritarian Personality
The authoritarian personality focuses on what type of factors?
Internal factors
HOW does the authoritarian personality develop?
Through strict parenting in early childhood which makes an individual more obedient to authority figures.
What are some examples of strict parenting?
Extremely strict discipline (high levels of punishment), Impossibly high standards, severe criticisms of failings, expectations of loyalty
WHAT does an authoritarian personality look like? (What characteristics does an individual show?)
- Extreme respect for authority and submission to them
- See perceived authority as superior
- Black and white thinking
- strict adherence to social rules and hierarchies
ALL which increase obedience.
How does someone with an authoritarian personality view an authority figure
As superior
Who does someone with an authoritarian personality view as superior?
Authority figures
If someone has an authoritarian personality, how does this affect their obedience?
They are more likely to obey
How is the authoritarian personality assessed?
Using the F-Scale
What research method does the F-Scale use?
Questionnaire
What is the issue with using a questionnaire like the F scale to measure personality characteristics?
Social desirability bias may occur where participants will lie to present themselves in the best possible light.
Who used the F-Scale to investigate the authoritarian personality?
Adorno
Who was Adorno’s sample?
2000+ Americans
The authoritarian personality is a collection of __________________
Personality traits
The authoritarian personality are associated with …
Higher levels of obedience
AO3: Research to support the authoritarian personality was conducted by…
Milgram & Elms
AO3: What did Milgram & Elms do?
They interviewed participants who had taken part in Milgram’s experiment and asked them to complete the F scale questionnaire to measure the levels of authoritarianism.
AO3: What did Milgram & Elms find?
Higher levels of authoritarianism among those participants classified as obedient (who went all the way to 450v) compared to those classed as defiant (those who stopped at 300v).
AO3: Why does Milgram & Elms support the authoritarian personality?
Because those who scored higher on the F-Scale were more likely to obey - showing how internal factors like personality can lead to increased levels of obedience.
AO3: How could we criticise the F-Scale for being a questionnaire?
Social desirability bias
AO3: Discussion - Why might Milgram and Elm’s research to support the dispositional explanation be limited? What did Milgram find about the individuals characteristics?
Milgram found that the obedient participants in his research had a number of characteristics not typical in someone who has an authoritarian personality. For example, Milgram’s obedient individuals did not experience high levels of punishment in early childhood. This suggests that the link between obedience and AP is more complex.
AO3: What is meant by social desirability bias?
Changing your response / behaviour to be seen in a better light
AO3: What type of validity does social desirability affect?
Internal validity
What is meant by internal validity?
Is the researcher measuring what they intend to measure
AO3: HOW may the participants have changed their responses on the F-Scale due to social desirability
To make themselves seem more obedient
What is an alternative explanation to the dispositional explanation?
Situational factors
AO3: How are situational factors an alternative explanation for obedience? What do they suggest?
This would argue that obedience is due to external factors such as obedience levels increasing due to an authority figure wearing a uniform, rather than internal factors such as the authoritarian personality leading to increased obedience.
AO3: Does having an alternative explanation strengthen or weaken the dispositional explanation of obedience?
Weaken
The authoritarian personality is what type of explanation for obedience?
Dispositional
Having an authoritarian personality means that you are less likely to obey.
True or False
False - you are more likely to obey
What is the questionnaire called which measures the authoritarian personality?
F-Scale
AO3: The dispositional explanation of obedience can be criticised for being a limited explanation as it is difficult to use personality as an explanation for obedience in most of a country’s population. Explain why.
For example, in pre-war Germany, millions of individuals displayed obedient, racist and anti-Semitic behaviour. It is likely that all of these individuals would have differed somewhat in their personalities, and very unlikely that they all possessed an authoritarian personality.
Which of the following statements are true. Choose one only.
According to the authoritarian personality explanation of obedience, people who show unquestioning obedience…
A - have little respect for those in power
B - are kind to those they think are less important
C - are very aware of social status and hierarchies
D - are accepting of people from different backgrounds
Correct answer:
C - very aware of social status and hierarchies.
