Dispositional Explanations: The Authoritarian Personality

Think about that mate who always respects teachers without question - they might have what psychologists call an authoritarian personality. People with this personality type show extreme respect for authority figures and believe society needs strong leaders to maintain traditional values.

These individuals see the world in black and white terms, feeling uncomfortable with uncertainty or grey areas. They often look down on people they view as having lower social status and tend to blame society's problems on 'outsiders' or minority groups.

Adorno's research in the 1950s found that this personality type typically develops from harsh childhood experiences. Parents who use extremely strict discipline, conditional love, and impossibly high standards create children who displace their resentment onto weaker targets later in life.

Key Point: The authoritarian personality forms a convenient explanation for why some people are more likely to follow orders from authority figures, even when those orders cause harm to others.

His team studied over 2000 middle-class Americans using the F-scale (potential-for-fascism scale) and found strong correlations between authoritarian traits and prejudiced attitudes. These people typically identified with strong leaders whilst showing contempt for those they perceived as weak.