Political Psychology: Citizen Behaviors and Opinions Lecture 3 Personality 1: Authoritarianism

Program What is personality? Authoritarianism Authoritarianism and threat

Lecture 3 Personality 1: Authoritarianism What is personality? Lecture 3 Personality 1: Authoritarianism

A general definition Personality: Regularities of an individual’s behavior in response to diverse stimuli

Personality Unique to each person Relatively stable over time Influences behaviors and thoughts

Lecture 3 Personality 1: Authoritarianism

Authoritarianism Starting point: The Authoritarian Personality Adorno, Frenkel-Brunswick, Levinson & Sanford (Berkeley) 1950

Authoritarianism conformity and conventionalism submission and idealization of authority hostility and aggression toward deviants social, political and econ. conservatism ethnocentrism mental rigidity ego defense superstition anti-intraception

Authoritarianism Sources: oppressive, punitive and restrictive family rearing practices when they were growing up

Authoritarianism Criticisms: the measure does not capture all forms of authoritarianism the methodological faults of the concept’s scale the reliance on non-representative samples the refusal to consider alternative explanations

Authoritarianism, take 2 Renewal: Robert Altemeyer 1981, 1989, 1996 a new mesure and a new explanation

Authoritarianism, take 2 3 dimensions: authoritarian submission authoritarian aggression conventionalism

Authoritarianism, take 2 Examples of statements: "Obedience and respect for authority are the most important virtues children should learn." "We have to crack down harder on deviant groups and troublemakers if we are going to save our moral standards and preserve law and order." "Our country will be destroyed someday if we do not smash the perversions eating away a tour moral fiber and traditional beliefs."

Authoritarianism, take 2 Authoritarians: support more illegal acts by governments support less charters of rights and freedoms are less sensitive toward the abuse of human rights by authorities would impose more severe sentences to criminals would impose less severe sentences to authorities would impose more severe sentences to deviants

Authoritarianism, take 2 Authoritarians: administer higher shocks in an experiment where they can choose the intensity level are more ethnocentric are more hostile toward homosexuals would be more willing to participate in the elimination of radical groups have a higher propensity to subscribe to traditional religious beliefs tend to belong to the more orthodox or fundamentalist branches of religions

Authoritarianism, take 2 Authoritarians: adhere to a great degree to traditional gender roles are more conforming to social norms have higher scores on a socio-political conservatism scale have a greater tendency to vote for parties of the right (when legislators) are more prone to be affiliated with parties of the right

Authoritarianism, take 2 Authoritarians: tend to believe that there are many problems are less able to detect false inferences support to a greater extent contradictory ideas are less demanding in the judgment of sufficient proof are more vulnerable to the fundamental attribution error have more double standards are not conscious of their authoritarianism

Authoritarianism, take 2 How does one become authoritarian? a little due to genetics a little due to parents a little due to friends a lot due to life experiences

Authoritarianism and threat Lecture 3 Personality 1: Authoritarianism

Authoritarianism and threat Doty, Peterson and Winter, 1991: two periods (1978-82 / 1983-87) social / political / economic instability first high than low authoritarianism manifestations drop of observed authoritarianism

Authoritarianism and threat Andrew Perrin, 2005: did 9/11 affect authoritarianism? content analysis of newspaper letters from the public one month before and after 9/11 climb of authoritarianism after

Authoritarianism and threat

Authoritarianism and threat Karen Stenner, 2005: normative threats are attacks on authorities, values, and norms authoritarianism = qualities children should learn (surveys) threat should increase impact of authoritarianism on intolerance

Authoritarian. & intolerance

Authoritarian. & intolerance

Auth. & intolerance & threat

Auth. & intolerance & threat

Lecture 3 Personality 1: Authoritarianism Conclusion Lecture 3 Personality 1: Authoritarianism