Obedience: Dispositional Explanation

• What is one reason obedience may occur according to the study material?

  Obedience may be due to personality traits
• How does a high External Locus of Control affect obedience?

  They take less personal responsibility
• What characterizes individuals with a high Internal Locus of Control?

  They are more self-directed and independent
• What does Internal Locus of Control imply about personal responsibility?

  They are mostly responsible for their outcomes
• What does External Locus of Control suggest about an individual's control over their life?

  They believe outside forces control their life
• What traits are associated with an authoritarian personality?

  Extreme respect for authority and hierarchies
• What parenting style is likely to produce an authoritarian personality?

  Harsh parenting with strict discipline
• Who developed the F-Scale questionnaire?

  Adorno et al
• What was the purpose of the F-Scale questionnaire?

  To test for authoritarian personality traits
• How many participants did Adorno study for his research?

  More than 2000
• What attitudes did participants with high F-Scale scores exhibit?

  Contempt for the weak and admiration for the strong
• What correlation was found between authoritarianism and prejudice?

  Strong positive correlation
• What were the findings of Elms & Milgram (1966) regarding obedient participants?

  • Obedient participants scored higher on the F-Scale compared to disobedient participants
  • Supports Adorno's view on authoritarian personality
• What unusual characteristics were found in obedient participants according to F-Scale analysis?

  They did not glorify their fathers
• What does the complexity of the link between obedience and authoritarianism suggest?

  It indicates a nuanced relationship
• What alternative explanation is suggested for obedience in pre-war Germany?

  Identification with the anti-Semitic Nazi state
• What criticism did Christie & Jahoda (1954) have regarding the F-Scale?

  It is politically biased in interpretation
• What does the political bias criticism imply about Adorno's theory?

  It does not account for all political spectrums
• AO3 - What is a strength for the F-Scale?

  Research Support

  • Elms & Milgram (1966) interviewed a small sample of people who had participated in Milgram’s original experiment
  • They all completed the F-Scale test in which the 20 obedient participants scored significantly higher compared to a group of 20 disobedient participants
  • This supports Adorno et al’s view that obedient people show similar characteristics to people who have an Authoritarian Personality
• AO3 - What is a limitation for the F-Scale?

  Contradiction?

  • When researchers analysed the sub-scales of the F-Scale, they found that obedient participants had characteristics that were unusual for authoritarians
  • The obedient participants did not glorify their fathers, did not experience unusual levels of punishment in childhood, nor did they have hostile attitudes towards their mothers
  • This means the link between obedience and authoritarianism is complex
• AO3 - What is a limitation for the F-Scale?

  Limited Explanation

  • In pre-war Germany, millions of people displayed obedient and anti-semitic behaviour, despite the fact they all differed in personality
  • An alternative view is that majority of the German people identified with the anti-semitic Nazi state and scapegoated the Jews, which is a social identity theory approach 
  • Therefore, Adorno’s theory is limited because an alternative explanation is more realistic
• AO3 - What is a limitation for the F-Scale?

  Political Bias

  • Christie & Jahoda (1954) claimed that the F-Scale is a politically-biased interpretation of the Authoritarian Personality
  • They point out the reality of left-wing authoritarianism in Russia or China
  • This means Adorno’s theory is not a comprehensive dispositional explanation that accounts for obedience to authority across the whole political spectrum