Social Psychology: topic 7 ‘dispositional explanations for obedience, authoritarian personality’

Question 1

What is a dispositional explanation?

Answer 1

• one that focuses on the individual’s own personal characteristics or traits (eg their disposition) rather than aspects of the situation

Question 2

What is the dispositional explanation for obedience?

Answer 2

• a dispositional explanation for obedience would suggest that obedience is caused by internal factors (eg individuals personality type that makes it more likely to obey)

Question 3

What is this personality type called?

Answer 3

• authoritarian personality type

Question 4

What is the authoritarian personality type?

Answer 4

• a person with this personality type is especially susceptible to obeying people in authority
• they are hostile to people of inferior status but obedient to people of higher status
• they are rigid in their beliefs and opinions and strictly uphold transitions and conventions
• it is argued that this type of personality is a result of strict and rigid parenting during childhood

Question 5

Who first proposed the authoritarian personality and why? [2]

Answer 5

• first proposed by Fromm as an attempt to explain those holding right wing conservative views and is a personality type characterised by a belief in absolute obedience, submission to authority and domination of minorities
• Adorno saw people of this type as having a belief in a need for power and toughness, which leads them to be highly obedient to authority figures

Question 6

How is the authoritarian personality type measured?

Answer 6

• using the F scale questionnaire which has 30 questions assessing nine personality dimensions

Question 7

What was Adorno’s study using the F scale?

Answer 7

• tested over 2000 americans using the F scale
• he found that those with the authoritarian personality type had no fuzziness between categories of people, with fixed, stereotypical views about other groups of people
• those scoring the highest on F scale identified with strong people and disliked the weak, were very conscious of their own and others’ status, showing excessive respect to those of higher status
• there was a strong positive correlation between authoritarianism and prejudice
• it was concluded that people with an authoritarian personality have tendency to be especially obedient to authors as they believe we need strong leaders to enforce traditional values such as love of country, religion and family