Disposition explanations of obedience

• Dispositional Factors


  One particular characteristic is the authoritarian personality, which has been associated with higher levels of obedience
• Who theorised the authoritarian personality 


  Adorno
• Adorno's theory


  he believed that the authoritarian personality were laid in early childhood as a result of harsh and strict parenting, which the child feel that the love of their parents was conditional and dependent upon how they behaved. It is argued that this then creates resentment within the child as they grow up and, since they cannot express it at the time, the feelings are displaced onto others that are seen as 'weak' or 'inferior', as a form of scapegoating.
• How did Adorno investigate this

  He conducted a study using over 2,000 middle class, caucasian Americans to find out their unconscious views towards other racial groups
• What was the study

  f-scale
• What was the conclusion to the F-scale study


  Individuals with an authoritarian personality were more obedient to authority figures and showed an extreme submissiveness and respect. They are also uncomfortable with uncertainty with everything being seen as either wrong or 'no grey areas'