Obedience dispositional explanation

• Who wanted to know anti-semitism of the Holocaust?

  Adorno and his colleagues
• What did Adorno et al believe a high level of obedience was?

  A psychological disorder
• Where do they believe the cause of these disorders is lying?

  In the personality of the individual rather than situation ie dispositional explanation
• What did Adorno discover about those with authoritarian personality?

  They have extreme respect for authority
• People with an AP view society as what?

  Weaker than before and believe we need stronger leaders
• What do these characteristics makes people AP more likely to do what to orders given?


  Obey to orders
• People with AP show contempt to who?

  Those of inferior status
• What does contempt mean?

  Worthlessness
• What are AP uncomfortable with?

  Uncertainty
• What does it mean by those with AP being uncomfortable with uncertainty?

  They want everything to be either right or wrong
• What do AP believe about ‘others’ (eg belong to different ethnic groups)?

  That they are responsible for the ills of society
• What’s an example of ‘others’ being a convenient target for authoritarians?

  The Nazi
• Where does Adorno believe AP forms from?

  Childhood
• What was the parenting like in those with AP during their childhood?

  Strict, discipline, an expectation of absolute royalty, impossibly high standards, severe criticism of perceived failings (harsh parenting)
• What’s an example of the conditional love these parents have to the children for them to adapt an AP?

  I will love you if…..
• What did these hard childhood experiences create?

  Resentment and hospitality of child
• Why don’t the children confront?

  As they fear punishment
• Where are there fears displaced as they get older?

  Onto others who they perceive as weaker via scapegoating
• What is scapegoating?

  The act of blaming a person or group for something bad that has happened or that someone else has done
• What year did Adorno et al do his research

  1950
• What did he base his research on?

  Theories
• What kind of participants did Adorno study?

  More than 2000 middle-class, white Americans
• What did he study about these men?

  Their unconscious attitudes towards other ethnic groups
• What did he use to measure this research?

  The F-scale
• Those with high scores and therefore have a AP, identify with who?

  Strong people and often contemptuous of the weak
• Those with AP have extreme respect to who?

  Those with higher status
• There is a strong positive correlation between what?

  Authoritarian and prejudice
• Society is structured in a hierarchal way so authority people wield as what?

  Legitimate
• What do authority figures allow?

  Society to run smoothly
• Where do we learn acceptance of legitimate authority?

  Childhood ie parents then teachers then adults in general
• When do problems arise with authority?

  When it becomes destructive
• History has shown that charismatic and powerful leaders can use their legitimate powers for destructive powers, who are those leaders?

  Hitlar, Stalin, Pol Pot