What is the authoritarian personality theory?
The authoritarian personality describes a type of person who prefers a social system with a strong ruler—the authoritarian person is comfortable being the strong ruler but if the individual is not the strong ruler then he or she will demonstrate complete obedience to another strong authority figure.
Why did Adorno conduct his research?
Adorno had been a member of the “Frankfurt School”, a group of philosophers and Marxist theorists who fled Germany when Hitler shut down their Institute for Social Research. Adorno et al. were thus motivated by a desire to identify and measure factors that were believed to contribute to antisemitic and fascist traits.
Who has advocated the theory of authoritarian personality?
Adorno and Else Frenkel-Brunswik, Daniel Levinson and Nevitt Sanford proposed a personality type that involved the “potentially fascistic individual.” The historical background that influenced the theoretical development of the authoritarian personality included the rise of fascism in the 1930s, the Second World War ( …
Is Authoritarianism a personality trait?
Authoritarianism has long been conceived of as a highly stable personality trait (Adorno et al., 1950, Altemeyer, 1981), though recent accounts have argued that authoritarianism is too malleable to justify this conception.
What is an example of authoritarianism?
Examples of authoritarian regimes, according to some scholars, include the pro-Western military dictatorships that existed in Latin America and elsewhere in the second half of the 20th century. In a highly authoritarian polity, the regime tries to monopolize for itself all opportunities to engage…
What is a authoritarian personality example?
For example, if children have a very strict authoritarian parent, they will learn to suppress thoughts, feelings, and actions which might be considered immoral (e.g., aggression or sex drive). Authoritarian personalities are somewhat conflicted because they want power, but also are very willing to submit to authority.
What was the aim of Adorno’s study?
The researchers, led by Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer, used various psychological scales to attempt to explain racism and the atmosphere that led to the slaughter of six million Jews and others in psychological terms.
Why do people with an authoritarian personality obey?
People with such a personality are more obedient because they see authority figures more legitimately than people without, and feel like they must obey to maintain their position and uphold societal values.
What are the characteristics of authoritarian personality?
According to Adorno’s theory, the elements of the Authoritarian personality type are:
- Blind allegiance to conventional beliefs about right and wrong.
- Respect for submission to acknowledged authority.
- Belief in aggression toward those who do not subscribe to conventional thinking, or who are different.
How is authoritarianism measured?
The 30-item Right-Wing Authoritarianism Scale (RWAS) is widely used to measure authoritarianism (Altemeyer, 1998). The scale measures a social attitude dimension that incorporates conventionalism, authoritarian aggression, and authoritarian submission. The other “authoritarian personality”.
What does authoritarianism mean in simple terms?
authoritarianism, principle of blind submission to authority, as opposed to individual freedom of thought and action. In government, authoritarianism denotes any political system that concentrates power in the hands of a leader or a small elite that is not constitutionally responsible to the body of the people.
What is authoritarian in simple words?
1 : of, relating to, or favoring blind submission to authority had authoritarian parents. 2 : of, relating to, or favoring a concentration of power in a leader or an elite not constitutionally responsible to the people an authoritarian regime.
What are the two dimensions of authoritarian personality?
Methodological and conceptual criticisms of the original theory, however, lead to alternative theories and culminated in research suggesting two distinct dimensions of ideological attitudes, Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) or Social Conservatism and Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) or Anti-Egalitarianism.
How is the authoritarian personality theory of prejudice explained?
Authoritarian Personality Theory of Prejudice Explained. An authoritarian personality is either an attitude or a mind-state that can be characterized through a belief of submission or total obedience to a specific authority figure. This authority could then be distributed through that figure’s subordinates as well.
Is the F scale a measure of authoritarian personality?
The Authoritarian Personality was subjected to close scrutiny and criticism almost immediately after it was published (see Christie and Jahoda 1954 ). Methodologically, problems with the F-scale measure of authoritarianism cast doubt on much of the empirical research.
How did authoritarian personality theory influence psychoanalytic theory?
The clearest influence of psychoanalytic theory, the authoritarian personality theory (Adorno, Frenkel-Brunswik, Levinson, and Sanford) proposed that rigid, punitive, status-conscious child-rearing practices reinforce unquestioning, duty-bound, hierarchical-oriented obedience.