Starter 1 write on the whiteboards 5 questions you could use to measure obedience Use a likert/rating scale Strongly disagree………..Agree Very entertaining…………………not Very

Dispositional explanation Any explanation that highlights the importance of the individual

What do you think? Should a high level of obedience be described as a psychological disorder?

Dispositional explanations There are many But the most influential is The authoritarian personality How can we measure your personality?

Watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8oMdc7T828 Make notes Write on post it any questions you have

Theodor Adorno Truly believed that a high level of obedience is a psychological disorder

Procedure Adorno created several scales to measure obedience personality through a variety of interviews and tests with participants Sample – 2000 middle class white Americans Aimed to measure unconscious attitudes Questionnaire involved a variety of scales This included the F-Scale- Why is it called this?

Take the questionnaire This is based on Adorno’s Authoritarian personality F Scale

Self Reports- Questionnaire design Use pages 184-185/internet What two types of questions can be used? Which type of question may be open to interpretation bias? What is social desirability bias? Outline two strengths and two limitations of a questionnaire Why might a structured interview be advantageous? What is a risk of an unstructured questionnaire? What is Acquiescence bias?

Does the questionnaire measure these? F-Scale findings People with authoritarian leanings…. Identify with strong people Are generally contemptuous of the weak Are conscious of the status of themselves and others Show excessive respect to those in higher positions Have fixed and distinctive stereotypes Have a positive correlation with prejudice Believe everything is either right or wrong Have conventional attitudes to sex, race and gender Enforce traditional values Apply it to the F scale questionnaire Does the questionnaire measure these?

Evidence  Milgram and Elms (1966) found a link between those that displayed obedience and authoritarian personality traits Zillmer (1995) Nazi criminals scored highly on some of the F scale But  Correlation - not causation What else could be involved?

Upbringing and Personality Recap Psychodynamic approach Our early life/upbringing in childhood can link to our personality later in life

Psychodynamics Harsh Parenting Adorno et al concluded that the personality formed as a result of harsh parenting Order the process

Methods of Strict discipline and High Expectations Children receive severe criticism/punishment for failings Child’s then believes that love and affection depends on their behaviour Child becomes resentful and hostile but cannot direct this to the parent(s) due to fear Scapegoating- Fears are displaced onto others who are weaker Develop a dislike for those who are inferior and maintain respect and like for those in authority

Authoritarian vs Authoritative Parenting styles - What is the difference? Authoritative Authoritarian

But….. These are only Correlations Relationships Not Causation

Evaluation What causes prejudice

There are many weaknesses in Adorno’s explanation of prejudice: • Harsh parenting style does not always produce prejudice children / individuals • Some prejudice people do not conform to the authoritarian personality type. • Doesn’t explain why people are prejudiced against certain groups and not others.

Task Write a short article entitled Authoritarian Parenting:  A Short Term Parenting Behaviour Strategy with Serious Long Term Psychological Consequences! Include What authoritarian parenting might entail What the impact of this might be Supportive research Conflicting viewpoints/evidence