Dispositional Explanations

• What is a dispositional explanation?

  Any explanation of behavior that attributes it to individual characteristics.
• What is the authoritarian personality?

  An extreme respect and obedience to authority.
• What is the F Scale and what does it measure?

  • A scale to measure components of the authoritarian personality
  • Includes statements reflecting attitudes towards authority
• Who developed the F Scale?

  Adorno et al in 1950.
• Why do people with Authoritarian Personalities obey authority figures?

  They have a strong respect for authority and traditional values
• How do individuals with Authoritarian Personalities view society?

  They see society as weaker and believe in the need for strong leaders
• How does Adorno et al. believe the Authoritarian Personality forms?

  It forms in childhood due to harsh parenting styles
• What is the central feature of obedience to a higher authority in individuals with Authoritarian Personalities?


  Hatred towards those considered socially inferior
• What are the key features of the Authoritarian Personality according to Adorno et al.?

  • Extreme respect for authority
  • Belief in strong leaders
  • Contempt for inferior social status
  • Inflexible worldview (no 'grey areas')
  • Scapegoating of perceived weaker individuals
• What are the origins of the Authoritarian Personality as proposed by Adorno et al.?

  • Forms in childhood
  • Result of harsh parenting
  • Features strict discipline and conditional love
  • Creates resentment and hostility
  • Leads to scapegoating of others
• Elms and Milgrams’ procedure


  • follow up study with Milgrams’ participants 2 months prior
  • selected 20 obedient (went up to 450 volts) and 20 who had refused at some point (defiant)
  • each completed the MMPI scale (personality measure) and the F-scale (authoritarianism)
  • asked open-ended questions about parents and attitude to ‘experimenter’ and ‘learner’
• Elm and Milgrams’ Findings


  • little difference between obedient and defiant participants on MMPI variables
  • higher authoritarianism with obedient compared to defiant
  • significant differences between obedient and defiant consistent with authoritarian personality
  • therefore, obedient group was higher ‘authoritarianism’
• Research Support 


  • Elms and Milgram interviewed a small sample of ppts in Milgram’s previous study
  • all completed the F-scale, the 20 obedient participants scored higher in comparison to the 20 who where disobedient
  • obedient people may show similar characteristics to people who have an authoritarian personality
• Research Support - Counterpoint


  • when analysed the individual sub-scales of the F-scale, obedient ppts had a number of characteristics which were unusual for an authoritarian personality
  • they generally did not experience unusual levels of punishment in childhood
  • complex link between obedience and authoritarian personality so authoritarianism can’t predict obedience
• Limited Explanation


  • authoritarianism cannot explain obedient behaviour for the general population
  • in pre-war germany, millions showed obedience, racism and anti-semitism, it is unlikely that they all have an authoritarian personalities
  • majority of German people identified with anti-semitic state and scapegoated the ‘outgroup’ of Jews (social identity theory)
• Political Bias 


  • the F-scale only measures extreme right-wing ideology
  • Christic + Jahoda (1954) -> F-scale is politically based on authoritarianism
  • left-wing authoritarianism also exists
  • both right and left wing ideologies emphasise importance of complete obedience to political authority
  • the theory does not account for obedience across the whole political spectrum
• Flawed Evidence


  • greenstein (1969) -> F-scale is flawed -> you can score high just by choosing ‘agree‘ for every question
  • this response bias will be seen as having an authoritarian personality
  • unreliable