Obedience and Authoritarian Personality Study
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Questions and Answers

What does conditional love from parents typically depend on?

  • The child's friendships
  • The child's academic performance
  • The child's creativity
  • The child's behavior (correct)

    • The Authoritarian Personality is said to develop from consistent harsh and critical parenting.

    True

    What is the process called when a child displaces their resentment towards weaker individuals?

    scapegoating

    The potential-for-fascism scale is also known as the ______.

    <p>F-scale</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following traits did Adorno et al. find in authoritarian individuals?

    <p>Contempt for the 'weak'</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Adorno et al., authoritarian individuals tend to have a 'black and white' cognitive style.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which demographic did Adorno et al. study for their research on authoritarianism?

    <p>middle-class white Americans</p> Signup and view all the answers

    People with authoritarian leanings show extreme ______ to those of higher status.

    <p>respect</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following characteristics with their descriptions:

    <p>Authoritarian Personality = Developed from harsh parenting experiences F-scale = Measures potential for fascism in individuals Cognitive style = Fixed and distinctive stereotypes about others Scapegoating = Displacing resentment onto weaker individuals</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was one of the findings from Adorno et al.'s research regarding authoritarian individuals?

    <p>They show extreme deference to higher status individuals.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the Authoritarian Personality (AP) primarily emphasize?

    <p>Strong leadership and traditional values</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Fred Greenstein considers the F-scale to be a valid and reliable measurement tool.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of harsh parenting in the development of an Authoritarian Personality?

    <p>Harsh parenting can shape an Authoritarian Personality by instilling strict discipline and critical feedback, leading to redirected resentment towards perceived weaker individuals.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Individuals with an Authoritarian Personality are likely to view the world in _____ terms.

    <p>black-and-white</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a primary research aim of Adorno regarding obedience?

    <p>To explore the origins of anti-Semitism during the Holocaust</p> Signup and view all the answers

    An individual scoring high on the F-scale may not genuinely possess an Authoritarian Personality.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does resentment play a role in the Authoritarian Personality development?

    <p>Resentment developed from harsh parenting is redirected towards weaker individuals, resulting in scapegoating behavior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The F-scale is criticized for being a comedy of _____ errors.

    <p>methodological</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which aspect is NOT a characteristic of an Authoritarian Personality?

    <p>Empathy towards different ethnic groups</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Milgram and Elms find when they compared obedient and disobedient participants using the F-scale?

    <p>Obedient participants scored significantly higher on the F-scale</p> Signup and view all the answers

    All obedient participants in the Milgram study displayed typical characteristics of authoritarian personalities.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does a dispositional explanation emphasize in understanding behavior?

    <p>The individual's personality</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Name one factor that was found to differentiate obedient participants from authoritarian individuals according to Milgram's findings.

    <p>Did not glorify their fathers or did not have hostile attitudes towards their mothers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Adorno, a person with an Authoritarian Personality is likely to be dismissive of higher status individuals.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The F-scale primarily measures the tendency towards an extreme form of __________ ideology.

    <p>right-wing</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following criticisms of the Authoritarian Personality theory with their descriptions:

    <p>Limited explanation = Cannot explain obedient behavior in most of a population Political bias = Only measures extreme right-wing ideology Individual variability = Obedient individuals differ from authoritarians in key traits</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the term 'Authoritarian Personality' refer to?

    <p>A personality type that is highly obedient to authority and dismissive of inferiors.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Adorno believed that the Authoritarian Personality forms during ____________.

    <p>childhood</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Christie and Jahoda, which type of authoritarianism is overlooked by the F-scale?

    <p>Left-wing authoritarianism</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The link between obedience and authoritarianism is simple and straightforward.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following characteristics with the Authoritarian Personality:

    <p>Extreme respect for authority = Indicates high likelihood to obey Contempt for inferior social status = Fuels feelings of superiority Inflexible outlook on the world = Maximizes black-and-white thinking Harsh parenting = Contributes to personality development</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What belief do people with an Authoritarian Personality hold regarding society?

    <p>Society is weakening and needs strong leaders</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What alternative explanation was suggested for the obedience observed in pre-war Germany?

    <p>Identification with the anti-Semitic Nazi state and scapegoating of Jews</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Adorno believed that obedience could be considered a psychological disorder.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The study concluded that authoritarianism is unlikely to be a useful __________ of obedience.

    <p>predictor</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What parenting style is likely to lead to the development of an Authoritarian Personality?

    <p>Harsh parenting with strict discipline.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was one of the main criticisms of the F-scale in measuring authoritarianism?

    <p>It assumes all people in a regime share the same personality traits</p> Signup and view all the answers

    People with an Authoritarian Personality often see the world in ____________ terms.

    <p>black-and-white</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the Authoritarian Personality?

    <p>Flexible thinking</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Obedience: Dispositional Explanation

    • Dispositional explanation highlights the importance of individual personality in behavior, contrasting with situational explanations.
    • Authoritarian Personality (AP) is a personality type argued to be susceptible to authority figures, submissive to higher status individuals, and dismissive of inferiors.

    The Authoritarian Personality

    • Adorno et al. researched the causes of anti-Semitism, concluding a high level of obedience was a psychological disorder rooted in individual personality (dispositional).
    • AP individuals show extreme respect and submission to authority.
    • They view society as weaker, needing strong leaders to enforce traditional values (e.g., country, family).
    • AP individuals express contempt for those of lower social status, favouring a rigid "black and white" worldview, and intolerance of ambiguity.
    • They are likely to obey destructive authority figures (e.g., Nazi Germany).

    Origins of the Authoritarian Personality

    • Adorno et al. believed the AP develops in childhood due to harsh parenting styles.
    • These styles feature strict discipline, conditional love (dependent on behaviour), impossibly high standards, and severe criticism.
    • These experiences create resentment, hostility, and displaced aggression onto perceived weaker groups.

    Adorno et al.'s Research

    • Adorno et al. (1950) studied over 2000 middle-class white Americans.
    • They developed the F-scale to measure Authoritarian Personality traits.
    • Factors of the F-scale include obedience, respect, and love of parents.
    • Findings show people high on the F-scale identify with strong figures and are contemptuous of weaker ones.
    • They demonstrate a rigid "black-and-white" cognitive style.
    • A correlation exists between authoritarianism and prejudice.

    Evaluation: Research Support

    • Milgram's research provided support for the AP theory.
    • People who obeyed high on the F-scale, exhibiting authoritarian personality traits.
    • However, analysis of subscales showed that obedient participants displayed different characteristics compared to those categorized as authoritarians.

    Evaluation: Limitations

    • Limited explanation – the AP theory cannot explain obedience in the majority of a population (e.g., pre-war Germany).
    • Political bias – The F-scale only measures right-wing authoritarianism.
    • Flawed evidence – the F-Scale is methodologically flawed, potentially measuring response bias.

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    Obedience - Dispositional Explanations PDF

    Description

    This quiz explores the concept of dispositional explanations in obedience, focusing on the Authoritarian Personality (AP) as a psychological profile. It examines how AP individuals exhibit extreme deference to authority and their rigid worldview, as investigated by Adorno et al. Test your understanding of these psychological theories and their implications in society.

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