The Authoritarian Personality

Question 1

Authoritarian personality

Answer 1

A distinct personality pattern characterised by strict adherence to conventional values and a belief in absolute obedience or submission to authority

Question 1

Dispositional

Answer 1

Explanations for behaviour such as obedience emphasise them being caused by an individuals own personal characteristics rather than situational influences within the environment

Question 2

F scale

Answer 2

Developed in California 1947 to measure authoritarian traits or personality

Question 3

Right wing authoritarianism

Answer 3

A cluster of personality variables that are associated to a right wing way of life

Question 4

Elms and Milgram (1966) aim

Answer 4

If the obedient participants in Milgram’s research were more likely to display authoritarian personality traits, in comparison to disobedient participants

Question 5

Elms and Milgram (1966) procedure

Answer 5

20 obedient participants and 20 defiant took the F Scale test, and then asked open ended questions, for example about their relationship with their parents

Question 6

Elms and Milgram (1966) findings

Answer 6

Higher levels of authoritarianism in obedient. Obedient were less close to their parents, and described them negatively

Question 7

The social context is more important

Answer 7

Variations in social context in Milgram were the primary cause of differences in obedience

Question 8

Education may determine obedience and authoritarianism

Answer 8

Research shows that less educated people are more likely to be consistently authoritarian and obedient. Any apparent causal relationship between the two may be more illusionary than real