Subjects in both student and juror samples who scored high in authoritarianism also made significantly more inferential errors.
The data from this study strongly suggests that authoritarianism as a personality variable covaries significantly with a lessened ability of an individual to process incoming information with reasonable care and accuracy.
** THE ARTICLE **
Theodor Adorno's research on authoritarian personalities was aimed at explaining why "Good Germans" went along with the Nazis. Authoritarian personality theory may explain how someone can continue to support the corrupt.
Authoritarianism is a personality trait operationally defined in terms of:
1) a high degree of compliance with socially-accepted authorities;
2) aggressiveness toward persons that is believed to be sanctioned by established authorities;
3) a high degree of adherence to social conventions believed to be favored by society and established authority (Altemeyer, 1996).
The two primary instruments for measuring authoritarianism are the F-scale (Fascism) (Adorno et al., 1950) and the RWA-scale (Right-Wing Authoritarianism) (Altemeyer, 1981, 1988, 1996). Adorno pursued the twofold objective of showing that punitive child-rearing practices produced authoritarian adults and that these adults tended to hold socially conservative and discriminatory views.
The F-scale sorted subjects according to nine variables including:
1) conventionalism (conformity to approved social practices):
2) authoritarian submission (compliance with authority),
3) authoritarian aggression (behavioral or
4) attitudinal aggression directed at out-groups,
5) superstition and stereotypy (belief in mystical determinants of fate & rigid categorization);
6) preoccupation with power and toughness (identify with power figures, assertion of power);
7) exaggerated concern with sexual "goings on."
Although Adorno had difficulty showing correlation between parenting practices and social beliefs, he did show correlation between higher F-scale scores and both social / political conservatism and discriminatory beliefs.
Stanley Milgram reported that the more compliant subjects in obedience tests scored higher the F-scale (Elms, 1972).
[ For complete references and better formatting see: http://bracewell.livejournal.com/215626.html ]
[Proofreader's note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on July 17, 2006]
Note: http://bracewell.livejo...
Authoritarians May Be Intellectually Impaired
Posted on Saturday, July 15 at 07:55 by bracewellContributed By
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Wilhelm Reich a onetime student of Freud who broke away from his then teacher wrote in 1946 “Listen Little Man!” a blistering attack and warning on the same mind set and tone of the authors of the actice I now reply to.<br />
Those of us who care to dig beneath the surface of the world given us by the likes of <br />
Freud's nephew Edward Bernaise shaped the political world as we now know it.<br />
Harper Bush Blair and all elected politician that have been sold to us, no matter what the party they represent have been no different than the ad campaigns’ that put the car you drive under you. Until this simple and devastating point is accepted nothing will change <br />
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<a href="http://www.lookingglassnews.org/viewvideo.php?vid=cen_of_self1">http://www.lookingglassnews.org/viewvideo.php?vid=cen_of_self1</a> <br />
<br />
The Century of the Self <br />
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How politicians and business learned to create and manipulate mass-consumer society.<br />
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<a href="http://www.lookingglassnews.org/viewcommentary.php?storyid=110">http://www.lookingglassnews.org/viewcommentary.php?storyid=110</a> <br />
<br />
Profile: Leo Strauss, Fascist Godfather of the Neo-Cons<br />
<p>---<br>The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.... : Albert Einstein
I have seen and heard them all and there's no difference between the mentalities of communist, nazi, capitalist, Christian, Muslim, Zionist etc, etc. fundamentalists.
As we can see it on this blog in the textbook cliches from our capitalist friends. Change a few words and they could be preaching another ideology, or religion. "Communnism, national socialism, capitalism etc. was good to me, so I support it" I wish I had a buck for every time I've heard these words.
As long as we have and force idelogically, or religion based economic theories on the world, the problems will grow and our armyguy will always have more people to shoot. Purely out of deep patriotism, or course, as are those on the other side.
Hey armyguy, have you ever been ordered to shoot the wounded screaming their heads off between the lines, as there was no way to pick them up, or help them? I have been and not too proud of it. My NCOs and officers knew that I couldn't miss and would have shot me if I had on purpose. But it was routine in those days, bothe sides were doing it, and I never had a chance to think about it until I was lying on my back for 3 months in a hospital, as an 18 year old "war veteran". Yep, it it doesn't move, you paint it, if it moves you either salute, or shoot it.
Ed Deak.
They have surrendered their right to think for themselves.
However, you can rest assured that those who will take advantage of such people are thinking of new and improved ways of exploiting them.
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"and the knowledge they fear is a weapon to be used against them"
"The Weapon" - Rush
- Joseph Stalin
Anyone who can truly think for themselves realizes that while short term benefits may make being utterly selfish look appealing, the true costs of such a mindset only become apparent later on.
Anyone who cannot, or refuses to try to, see where/how their reactions will affect themselves and others cannot, in my honest opinion, be said to truly be able to think.
If Stellars Jays and Whiskeyjacks have that ability, what excuse do humans have beyond laziness?
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"and the knowledge they fear is a weapon to be used against them"
"The Weapon" - Rush
my bad
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"and the knowledge they fear is a weapon to be used against them"
"The Weapon" - Rush
- Joseph Stalin
Both sides are into forced collectivization under a self appointed ruling class. Only the colour of their flags and their methodology is different, but the end results are the same: brainwashed, blind servitude.
Ed Deak.
Some years ago I read a book by an American sociologist who discussed the issue of parents dealing with gifted children in an authoritarian way. A gifted child challenges the status quo within the family and of course the easiest way to deal with that child is to not be responsive to their gifted behavior. The parent can feel threatened by the child's intellectual talents and physical violence against the child can be a result. Authoritarianism becomes the lazy indifferent malevolant parents way out. And the child's gift may not survive or be tainted by an authoritarian upbringing.
Similarly on a political level authoritarianism becomes the lazy shortcut to dealing with issues- rather than dealing with them you suppress, and in the suppression the issue is left to fester and be debilitating.
Any yes there can be no doubt that many authoritarian leaders are the survivors of tainted childhoods and we live in a society that continues to give early childhood development short shrift.
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Robert Billyard
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"It's not the people who vote that count; it's the people who count the votes."
- Joseph Stalin
Funny, when I was a kid what you described was called "good citizenship" not "communism". It was taught in the Scouts, and in school, as well as other groups interested in fostering a society where people were treated fairly.
RPW, perhaps you could "enlighten" us as to what your definition of a just and free society is?
I for one am interested in what your POV regarding this is.
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"and the knowledge they fear is a weapon to be used against them"
"The Weapon" - Rush
- Joseph Stalin