dispositional explanations

Cards (12)

define dispositional explanations
obedience is influenced by individual's personality traits
who proposed the authoritarian personality?
Adorno
explain the authoritarian personality
more likely to obey authority figures and show contempt for those seen as inferior
how does the authoritarian personality develop?
strict and punitive parenting which leads to scapegoating
outline key characteristics of the authoritarian personality
highly obedient
conventional attitudes
hostile towards inferior individuals
rigid and inflexible thinking
aim
investigate link between personality type and obedience
method
F-scale questionnaire to measure authoritarian traits
findings
people with higher F-scale scores showed higher levels of obedience
prejudiced attitudes towards minority groups
conclusion
strong authoritarian personality makes individuals more likely to obey authority and reject those challenging social norms
strength - research support
elms and milgram
65% in milgram's study scored higher on the f-scale
correlational
weakness - limited explanation
mass obedience
nazi germany individuals didn't have personality
situational factors are important
weakness - lacks internal validity
methodological issues
questionnaire is one-directional
issues with acquiescence bias