Dispositional explanation Flashcards
(11 cards)
What is a dispositional explanation?
Explanation which states that a persons personality is responsible for the behaviour displayed.
What were Adorno et al’s aims?
Wanted to understand anti-semitism of the holocaust.
What are characteristics of the authoritarian personality?
Submissive to those of higher status
Extreme respect for authority
Traditional views on sex, gender and race
Believe we need strong leaders
What is the psychodynamic explanation of the authoritarian explanation?
Caused by harsh parenting
Results of conditional love from parents
Causes resentment and fear in child
Resentment and fear is displaced onto others that are weak when child gets older (scapegoating)
What was Adornos procedure?
200 middle class white Americans
Unconscious attitudes towards other ethnic groups
Used F scale
Used to measure authoritarian personality.
What were Adorno et al’s findings?
Those who scored highly on the f scale
Identified with strong people
Were disapproving of the weak
Very conscious of their own and other status.
There was a strong positive correlation between authoritarianism and prejudice
Also had a specific cognitive style
All had fixed stereotypes about specific groups of people
What did Adorno conclude?
People who have an authoritarian personality are more likely to obey to figures of authority
What is an evaluation for the authoritarian personality?
Research support
Milgram and Elms
Interview a small sample of people who had participated in the original obedience studies and been fully obedient.
Complete F scale
20 obedient participants scored significantly higher on the overall F scale than a comparison group of 20 disobedient participants
Two groups were clearly quite different in terms of authoritarianism.
Findings support Adorno et als views that obedient people may well show similar characteristics to people who have an authoritarian personality.
What is an evaluation for the authoritarian personality?
Obedience is correlation
Correlation doesn’t mean causation
There is a third intervening variable causing this relationship between the co variables which the research findings down make us aware of
What is an evaluation for the authoritarian personality?
Adornos methodology issues
Participants were interview by researchers who knew aim of research and knew the participants result on the F scale
High risk of investigation effects as they may ask leading questions
Items on F scale also all worded in a way that encourages agreement not in a neutral way
Eg. obedience and respect for authority are more important virtues for children to learn
What is an evaluation for the authoritarian personality?
F scale is politically biased
Only measures extreme right wing ideology
Can’t explain obedience to authority figures who support left wing views
