Social influence(The authoritarian personality)

Question 1

Authoritarian personality characteristics -

Answer 1

A distinct personality pattern characterised by strict adherence to convectional values and a belief in absolute obedience to authority. (Basically people are characterised with values and belied in obeying authority). Tend to the see the world as black and white with general hostility to other groups.

Question 2

The F scale -

Answer 2

• May suggest why it takes very little for people to obey
• California F scale developed in 1947 to measure authoritarian traits .
• Individuals with this type of personality were rigid thinkers who obeyed order and authority.
• Adorno found people who score high on the F scale test tended to be raised by authoritarian parenting style (physical punishment), growing up in this system was led to them on an expected norm of future behaviour.

Question 3

Right-wing authoritarianism -

Answer 3

A cluster of personality variables that are associated with a right-wing attitude to life (highly submissive to their authority figures, acts aggressively in the name of said authorities, and is conformist in thought and behaviour).
Altemeyer suggest High RWA people possess three important personality characteristics that predispose them to obedience.
- Conventionalism-
- Authoritarian aggression -
-Authoritarian submission -

Question 4

RWA possessed conventionalism -

Answer 4

An attachment to believed norms and values

Question 5

RWA possessed authoritarian aggression -

Answer 5

Aggressive feelings towards people who violate these norms. (the norms in conventionalism)

Question 6

RWA possessed authoritarian submission -

Answer 6

Uncritical submission to legitimate authorities

Question 7

Altemeyer findings with Milgram like study -

Answer 7

Tested relationship between RWA and obedience and participants were instructed to give themselves increasing levels of shocks when they made mistakes on learning tasks. There was a significant correlation between RWA scores and administered shock levels. Even were further instructed when the experiment was over to push a big red button which said ‘ do not push unless instructed to do so’ which delivered an extra shock of punishment. Individuals RWA score was irrelevant for this as the vast majority did it without question.

Question 8

Elms and Milgram 1966 procedure -

Answer 8

• Used participants who were involved in one of Milgram’s previous experiments two months before.
• Selected 20 obedient participants(went to final shock level)
• Selected a further 20 participants who were disobedient(refused to carry on at some points).
• Each did the MMPI scale (measured personality variables).
• And F scale to measure the authoritarian personality.
• Asked open ended questions about their relationship with their parents during childhood.

Question 9

Elms and Milgram (1966) findings -

Answer 9

• Found little difference between obedient and defiant participants on MMPI scales.
• Found higher levels of authoritarianism among participants who were classed as obedient.
• Found significant differences between obedient and defiant people that were consistent in their authoritarian personality. E.g obedient people reported to be less close with their fathers during childhood (classed as negative).

Question 10

Authoritarianism and obedience may be explained by education -

Answer 10

Research has found generally that less-educated people are more likely to be authoritarian than well educated. Milgram found that lower levels of education found people to be more obedient than those with higher education. (correlation between authoritarian and obedience from the idea of lower education). May suggest that authoritarianism doesn’t cause obedience but authoritarianism and obedience are caused by lower education. This may offer other explanations than childhood relationships and social context.

Question 11

Differences between authoritarianism and obedience -

Answer 11

Elms and Milgram’s research also showed some important differences in characteristics of the authoritarian personality and characteristics of obedient partners. When Elms and Milgram asked about individuals upbringing, many of the fully obedient participants reported a good upbringing and relationship with parents, rather than growing up in overly strict families that were associated with the authoritarian personality. Therefore given the large number of participants who were fully obedient in Milgram’s study, that the vast majority would of grown up in a harsh environment with a punitive father.

Question 12

The authoritarian personality can be seen as a dispositional explanation -

Answer 12

Explanations that emphasise behaviour as being caused by an individuals own personality characteristics.

Question 13

Elms and Milgram support for the role of authoritarian personality making individuals more obedient -

Answer 13

• Follow-up study
• Had taken participants previously from Milgram’s research.
• 20 of those who had stopped at any given moment during the experiment and not went up to the full 450 volts and 20 of those who did comply and went on to 450 volts.
• They completed two personality tests the MMPI and the F scale, no found differences on the MMPI test but significant differences between those of both groups who took the F scale test.