Obedience: Dispositional explanations

• Political bias

  Limitation F-scale only measures the tendency of right wing ideology. Christie and Jahoda 1954 argued scale is politically biassed interpretation of AP. point out the reality of left wing authoritarianism in the shape of Russian Bolshevism/ Chinese Maoism. Right and left wing ideologies have a lot in common as both emphasise the importance of complete obedience to political authority. Means Adornos theory not a comprehensive dispositional explanation that accounts for obedience to authority across the whole political spectrum. 
• Lack of generalisation in cultures and genders

  Limitation lacks application to different cultures and genders. Adornos research only men who are American. Other genders and cultures may appear more obedient than men and Americans. Therefore does not tell us a lot about obedience in other cultures and other genders.  
• Research support

  Strength Milgram & Elm 1966 interviewed a small sample of people who took part in the original study and were fully obedient, all completed F-scale. 20 obedient pps scored high compared to the disobedient. Two groups different in authoritarianism. The findings support Adornos research similar characteristics to people with AP.

   
• However, researchers analysed the individuals F-scale and found the obedient pps had numbers of characteristics different from authoritarians. Obedient pps don’t glorify father, no hostile attitude towards mother. The link between AP and obedience is complex. Authoritarianism isn't a useful predictor of obedience.  
• Limited explanation

  Limitation cannot explain obedience in the majority country's population. Pre-war Germany millions displayed obedience and anti-semitic behaviour, and they all differed in  personality. Seems unusual all could have AP. Alternative view majority identified with anti-semitic Nazi state, scapegoated Jews. Adornos theory limited alternative views to be more realistic.  
• Procedure: 2000 middle class American men and unconscious attitudes towards ethnic groups. Researchers used several scales like the F-scale. Two examples: 'obedience and respect for authority are most important virtues for children to learn’ and ‘there is hardly anything lower than a person who does not feel great love, gratitude and respect for parents’.
• Findings: people with AP identified with string and are contempt for the weak. They are conscious of status and show extreme respect for higher authority. Also found people with AP have certain cognitive style no fuzziness between categories of people. They have fixed stereotypes about other groups. Adorno found a strong correlation between AP and prejudice.  
• Adorno believed AP type forms in childhood and as a result of harsh parenting it usually features extremely strict discipline, high standards and expectations. Parents also give conditional love which is giving their child love depending on how they behave. These childhood experiences create resentment and hostility in a child, therefore unable to display feelings towards parents as fear of punishment. Meaning that fear displaced onto others who are weaker (scapegoating) explain the hatred to those who are socially inferior (psychodynamic explanation). 
• People with AP showed high respect and are extremely submissive to authority figures. They also view society weaker than it was before, and need strong leaders to enforce traditional values. These characteristics make people with AP more likely to obey people of an authority figure. show contempt lower stautus fuelled by their inflexible outlook on the world, uncomfortable around uncertainty therefore people who are another like ethnic groups are responsible for the ill in societies.