Dispositional variables

Dispositional explanation

Any explanation of behaviour that highlights the importance of the individual’s personality. Such explanations are contrasted with situational explanations

Authoritarian Personality

A type of personality that Adorno argued as especially susceptible to obeying people in authority. Such individuals are thought to be submissive to those of higher status and dismissive of inferiors

Adorno

Said that people who are authoritarians had a strict upbringing which might involve physical punishment.

Rigid thinking

Show extreme respect to those above them

Mistreating those below them

Intolerant

This was recorded through the F-scale - Fascism scale to see how right-winged someone is

Expansion of Adorno’s beliefs

Harsh parenting comes with impossibly high standards, expectations of loyalty and severe criticisms of a child’s failings.

Parents give conditional love - Their love depends entirely on how the child behaves.

These experiences create resentment and hostility. Children can’t express these feelings direct due to fear of punishment.

Scapegoating - Fears are displaced onto others who they think are weaker

Psychodynamic explanation

Explanation why a central feature of the Authoritarian Personality is hatred towards people who are socially inferior or belonging to other social groups.

Adorno’s research

2000+ middle class white Americans

Studied their unconscious attitudes towards minority ethnic groups.

Researchers developed several measurement scales such as the F-scale.

Adorno findings

People who scored high on the F-scale identified with ‘strong’ people and were contempt with ‘weak’ people.

Very conscious of status and showed extreme respect to authoritative figures.

Social identity theory

Suggests that people behave like others because they identify with the group.

S Elms + Milgram

Interviewed participants from the Milgram study. Took the F-Scale as a part of it.

Obedient participants scored higher on the F-Scale than the disobedient ones. Supports Adorno’s view. Obedient people have similar characteristics to those with an AP

W Limited explanation

AP doesn’t explain a whole population’s obedience.

Millions of Germans obeyed Hitler despite having different personalities. Not all have AP.

Adorno’s theory is limited.

W Mallinas

F-Scale measures 2 things

• Submission - Obedience to all authorities.

• Traditionalism - Obedience to only socially conservative authorities

Both strong in right-wing, submission only strong in left wing.

Submission is the key element so Adorno’s theory doesn’t explain all destructive obedience incidents.