Dispositional explanation for Obedience

• Where does the authoritatrian personality originate?

  a result of harsh parenting styles with an expectation of absolute loyalty, impossibly high standards, extreme criticism for perceived failings, conditional love ( I will love you only if')
• What did Adorno et al argue about childhood experiences?

  Harsh parenting techniques create resentment and hostility in a child

  The child cannot express these feelings to parents out of fear of punishment

  These fears are displaced onto others who perceive to be weaker, in a process called scapegoating - this can be seen in the characteristics of the authoritarian personality

  • This is a psychodynamic explanation
• What research did Adorno et al do that the authoritarian personality is based upon?

  Procedure: Studied more than 2000 middle-class white americans and their unconscious attitudes towards other ethnic groups - they measured their scores on an F-scale

  Findings: People with authoritarian leanings and scored high on the F-scale identified with 'strong' people and were contemptuous of the 'weak'

  These people also showed extreme respect to those of higher status and had a certain black and white way of thinking, they also had fixed stereotypes of other groups
• Adorno et al found a strong positive correlation

  between authoritarianism and prejudice
• What characterises someone with an authoritarian personality?

  • Extreme respect and submissiveness to authority
  • View society as weaker than it once was, so believe we need powerful leaders to enforce traditional values such as love of country and family
  • Show contempt for those of inferior social status
  • Black and white thinking and uncomfortable with uncertainty
  • Think people who are classed as 'other' are responsible for the ills of society