The authoritarian personality Flashcards
What is a dispositional explanation?
Explanation of behaviour highlights the importance of the individual’s personality
Who investigated into why Nazi soldiers were so willing to persecute and kill members of minority groups, such as Jews during WW II; could it be blamed on a personality trait?
Adorno
When did Adorno investigate into this?
1950
What did Adorno claim?
Particular personality type is more likely to obey an authority
What did Adorno et al. (1950) investigated in to?
The causes of an obedient personality in a study of more than 2000 middle-class, white Americans and their unconscious attitudes towards other racial groups.
What did Adorno et al. (1950) develop?
F scale
What was Adorno et al procedure
- measured 200 middle class, white Americans and their unconscious attitudes towards other racial groups
- Developed and used the F-scale to measure authoritarian personality
What did the F-Scale test?
The relationship between a person’s personality type and prejudiced beliefs
Define authoritarian personality:
A type of personality which was susceptible to obeying people in authority
Submissive to those with high authority
Dismissive of inferiors
What was Adorno et al (1950) findings?
-Those who scored higher were identified as ‘strong’
-higher score has particular cognitive style
+No grey areas between catergories
+Fixed and distinctive stereotypes
+Strong positive correlation between authoritarianism and prejudice
Characteristics of an authoritarian personality:
- Rigid beliefs = very traditional/dislike of change
- Hostility of other groups = Dominating and bullying manner
- Intolerant of ambiguity = Cannot tolerate behaviour which is wrong
Origin of the Authoritarian personality:
Harsh and punitive upbringing/ little love
Fear of parents = excessive respect to authority figures
Hatred of parents = gate and anger displaced on to others
What is the origin of the Authoritarian personality base on?
Psychodynamic approach
Elms and Milgram (1966)
- gave 20 of milgrams ppts who went all the way on the shock, the f-scale personality test
- they also gave it to 20 who didnt full obey
What did Milgram and Elms (1966) find?
Original participants who exceed to 450v showed higher on tests of authoritarianism and lower on social responsibility
Disadvantage of Milgram and Elms (1966):
- Only correlation
Why is the authoritarian personality explanation limited?
As during the WWII May Germans behaved the same but had very different personalities so not all could have had the authoritarian personality
What is right-wing authoritarianism?
a cluster of three of the original personality variables
Who proposed RWA
- Robert Altemeyer
When did Robert propose RWA
1981
What are three characteristics of high RWA
- Conventionalism
- Authoritarian aggression
- Authoritarian submission
Describe conventionalism
an adherence to conventional norms
Describe Authoritarian submission
uncritical submission to legitimate authorities
Describe Authoritarian aggression
aggressive feelings towards people who violate these norms
