Authoritarian personality - AO3

• Strength: Research support

  What? Evidence from Milgram

  Who? Milgram and Elms - interviewed obedient participants from obedience studies; scored higher on F-scale than disobedient participants

  Why? Supports obedient people similar to those w/ Authoritarian personality
• Counterpoint: Research support

  What? Obedient participants had characteristics unusual for authoritarians

  Who? Didn't experience extreme punishment in childhood

  Why? Complex link between obedience and authoritarianism
• Limitation: Limited explanation

  What? Cannot explain obedient behaviour in the majority of a country's behaviour

  Who? Pre-war Germany - millions obedient and anti-semitic; not all authoritarian - alternative view = majority scapegoated Jews (SIT)

  Why? Alternative explanation more realistic - social identity theory (SIT)
• Limitation: Political bias

  What? F-scale biased towards extreme right-wing ideology

  Who? Christie and Jahoda - politically biased; extreme right-wing and left-wing similar

  Why? Adorno's theory not comprehensive dispositional explanation for obedience