Dispositional Factors

• Milgram noted that his study created a conflict in participants with a deep rooted disposition not to harm someone else, yet the equally strong tendency to obey authority.
• The F-scale test was used to identify Authoritarian Personality.
• The California F scale test was used by Adorno et al to measure the different components that made an Authoritarian Personality.
• Adorno found that people who scored Hugh on the F scale tended to have strict parents.
• The anger towards the authoritarian figure’s parents is displaced onto other groups.
• Elms and Milgram (1966)

  • 20 obedient and 20 defiant patients completed the MMPI scale and F scale tests, as well as open questions about their childhood.
  • There was little difference between the two groups on the MMPI scale, but they found more obedient participants had an Authoritarian traits.
  • There were also Authoritarian traits in the obedient participants childhoods.
• Dambrun and Vatine used the role of an ‘immersive virtual environment’ to test participants. Although they knew it was not real, the more obedient participants had higher RWA scores.
• Milgram still believed that variations social context were the primary factor in obedience levels.
• It is unlikely that all 65% of obedient participants grew up in harsh authoritarian households, suggesting other factors may make more sense.
• Research had consistently found that less-educated people are more authoritarian.