part 6: dispositional explanations of obedience

• What is a dispositional explanation in psychology?

  An internal explanation based on personality factors for why someone obeys
• Who is the psychologist associated with the authoritarian personality?

  Theodore Adorno
• What characteristic is associated with the authoritarian personality?

  People with this trait are more likely to obey authority figures
• How can the authoritarian personality be measured?

  Using the F-scale, where participants rate their agreement with statements
• What type of scale is used in the F-scale?

  A Likert-style scale
• What does the authoritarian personality believe about authority figures?

  People should completely obey or submit to their authority figures
• What cognitive style do individuals with an authoritarian personality have?

  A 'fixed' cognitive style that does not challenge stereotypes
• What is the term for the thinking style of individuals with an authoritarian personality?

  Absolutist or 'black and white' thinking
• What does Adorno's psychodynamic theory suggest about personality traits?

  They stem from childhood influences, such as parental relationships
• What happens when a child has overly harsh and disciplinarian parents, according to Adorno?

  The child may displace their anger onto seemingly 'inferior' others
• What is scapegoating in the context of the authoritarian personality?

  Displacing anger onto weaker individuals or groups
• What is reaction formation as described in the study material?

  A psychological defense mechanism where individuals express the opposite of their true feelings
• What methodological issue is associated with the F-scale, according to Greenstein?

  It is susceptible to acquiescence bias
• What does acquiescence bias refer to?

  The tendency of respondents to agree with statements regardless of content
• Why might the findings of the F-scale lack validity and reliability?

  Due to the susceptibility to acquiescence bias
• What limitation does Christie and Jahoda point out regarding the Authoritarian Personality?

  It may not explain all cases of obedience across the political spectrum
• What does the F-scale measure in relation to political ideology?

  The likeness of an individual to Fascism
• What do Christie and Jahoda suggest about the similarities between political extremes?

  There are more similarities than differences, especially regarding respect for authority
• What is a limitation of the Authoritarian Personality regarding ecological validity?

  It cannot explain many real-life examples of mass obedience
• Why is it unlikely that the entire German population had an Authoritarian Personality during Nazi occupation?

  Many shared struggles in life and displaced fear onto perceived 'inferior' groups
• What process do individuals use to displace their fear about the future, according to the study material?

  Scapegoating
• What are the key characteristics of the authoritarian personality?

  • Belief in complete obedience to authority
  • Fixed cognitive style with absolutist thinking
  • Displacement of anger onto perceived 'inferior' groups
  • Scapegoating as a defense mechanism
• What are the methodological issues and limitations of the F-scale and Authoritarian Personality theory?

  • Susceptibility to acquiescence bias
  • Lacks validity and reliability
  • Does not account for left-wing authoritarianism
  • Limited ecological validity in explaining mass obedience