Obedience: dispositional explanations

• What is the dispositional explanation for obedience discussed in the material?

  The authoritarian personality
• Why do some psychologists argue against situational explanations for obedience?

  They believe personality plays a role
• What did Milgram's study reveal about obedience?

  Not all participants fully obeyed
• What is a key characteristic of the authoritarian personality?

  Submissiveness to authority figures
• Who developed the concept of the authoritarian personality?

  Theodor Adorno
• What does the F-scale measure?

  Personality traits related to authoritarianism
• What type of individuals did Adorno et al. study?

  Middle-class, white Americans
• What did Adorno et al. find about individuals with authoritarian leanings?

  They identified with strong people
• How did Adorno et al. describe the attitudes of authoritarian individuals towards social status?

  They showed marked deference to higher status
• What correlation did Adorno et al. find in their study?

  Between authoritarianism and prejudice
• What is a characteristic of individuals with an authoritarian personality?

  Contempt for those of lower status
• What limitation does Adorno's theory face regarding the majority of a population?

  It cannot explain widespread obedient behavior
• What did Daniel Goldhagen argue about obedience in pre-war Germany?

  Many identified with the anti-Semitic state
• What political bias is associated with the F-scale?

  It measures extreme right-wing ideology
• What methodological criticism did Greenstein make about the F-scale?

  It has a comedy of methodological errors
• What is acquiescence bias in the context of the F-scale?

  Agreeing with all items without thought
• Why is correlation, not causation, a limitation in Adorno's research?

  It does not prove one variable causes another
• What are the main characteristics of the authoritarian personality?

  • Unquestioning submissiveness to authority
  • Contempt for lower social status
  • Rigid adherence to social norms
  • Conventional views on social issues
• What are the limitations of Adorno's dispositional explanation for obedience?

  • Cannot explain obedience in large populations
  • Politically biased towards right-wing ideologies
  • Methodological flaws in the F-scale
  • Correlation does not imply causation
• What is a limitation of correlation in research?

  Correlation does not imply causation
• Who conducted research on authoritarian personality?

  Theodor Adorno and colleagues
• What was found to be strongly correlated with authoritarianism?

  Prejudice against minority groups
• Why couldn't Adorno claim harsh parenting caused authoritarian personality?

  Correlation does not establish causation
• What are the main features of the authoritarian personality?

  • Extreme respect for authority
  • Submissiveness to authority
  • Contempt for lower social status
  • Conventional attitudes towards sex, race, and gender
  • Inflexible outlook with no grey areas
• What scale did Adorno develop to measure authoritarian personality?

  The potential for fascism scale
• What did Adorno's study of over 2000 Americans investigate?

  Unconscious attitudes towards racial groups
• What cognitive style did authoritarian individuals exhibit?

  Rigid thinking with no grey areas
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Adorno's theory of authoritarian personality?

  Strengths:

  • Provides insight into obedience and prejudice
  • Links personality traits to social behavior

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Correlation does not imply causation
  • Limited explanation for widespread behaviors
  • Methodological issues in research design
• What did Adorno conclude about authoritarian individuals' views on society?

  They believe society is 'going to the dogs'
• What parenting style did Adorno associate with the development of authoritarian personality?

  Harsh parenting style
• How did Adorno describe the love of authoritarian parents?

  Conditional love based on behavior
• What is scapegoating in the context of authoritarian personality?

  Displacing resentment onto weaker groups
• What did Daniel Goldhagen argue about obedience and anti-Semitism?

  People identified with the dominant group
• What did Adorno find about authoritarian individuals' attitudes towards strong people?

  They identified with strong people
• What did Adorno's research suggest about the relationship between education and authoritarian personality?

  Education may influence authoritarian traits
• How does Adorno's theory relate to the political spectrum?

  It emphasizes the importance of political authority
• What methodological problems did critics identify in Adorno's research?

  Flawed methodology and biases in scales
• What is the significance of the F-scale in Adorno's research?

  It measures the tendency towards authoritarian personality
• What did Adorno believe about childhood experiences and authoritarian personality?

  They shape the development of the personality
• What is the relationship between authoritarian personality and social status perception?

  Authoritarian individuals show excessive respect for status