Dispositional explanations

Question 1

explain the procedure?

Answer 1

• 2000 middle class white male americans
• was measuring 9 dimensions of A personality and had to rate their agreement with different statements form 1-6
• developed an F scale

Question 2

who is the main man

Answer 2

Adorno

Question 3

explain the aim?

Answer 3

-Adorno wanted to investigate the causes of obedient personality

Question 4

what were the findings?

Answer 4

• people who scored high on the F scale identified w/ strong people and judged the weak
• conscious of their status =authoritarian personality

Question 5

explain the authoritarian personality?

Answer 5

• normally obedient to authority
• look down on lower social status’
• homophobic
• enforce traditional views

Question 6

-explain origins of authoritarian personality?

Answer 6

• formed in childhood due to harsh parenting

- felt resentment and couldn’t express feelings to others therefore displaced to others seen as weaker

Question 7

what are the 3 evaluation points?

Answer 7

• poor research support
• limited explanation
• correlation not causation

Question 8

evaluate poor research support

Answer 8

WEAKNESS

• Milgrim’s interviews on a small sample who scored high on F scale
• believing there is a link between high obedience and A peronality
• could only be a correlation
• may be a 3rd factor eg. low levels of education

Question 9

evaluate limited explanation?

Answer 9

WEAKNESS

• pre war Germany millions displayed obedient racist behaviour
• despite their differing personality
• unlikely that they all had A personality
• limitation as this explanation is more realistic

Question 10

evaluate correlation not causation?

Answer 10

WEAKNESS

• Adorno measured a range of variables that found many significant correlations
• A personality= prejudice against minorities
• however there is no evidence that one causes another
• he has failed to explain that harsh parenting CAUSED A personality