The Authoritarian Personality

The Authoritarian Personality is an influential 1950 book by Theodor W. Adorno and and several other researchers working at UC Berkeley during WWII and the period shortly thereafter. Adorno and his collaborators postulated the existence of an "Authoritarian Personality" that was receptive to Authoritarianism. The researchers created a psychometric instrument for measuring (the F-scale) and developed a Freudian theory of the development of this personality type.

The Authoritarian Personality inspired sociology and political science research during the later 1950s and early 1960s, on the role of psychology/anxiety in political expression.

The book has been criticized for its methodological flaws (e.g. issues of sample size and sample bias, poor psychometric technique). [The citation needed is to the Christie, Jahoda book referenced below.] Nonetheless, the book has been cited considerably within the sciences of sociology and political science. [The citation needed here is to journal article "Political conservatism as motivated social cognition", authors John T. Jost, Jack Glaser, Arie W. Kruglanski and Frank J. Sulloway, journal title "Psychological Bulletin", 2003, Vol. 129, No. 3, pp. 339-375.]

These methodological flaws have been remedied by the research of Bob Altemeyer during the 40 years since 1968 (see below under References).

See also

• Authoritarian personality
• F-scale
• Bob Altemeyer

References

• Altemeyer, Bob (2007). "The Authoritarians". Retrieved 2007-10-13.
• Christie, Richard & Jahoda, Marie (eds.) (1954). Studies in the scope and method of "The Authoritarian Personality". Glencoe, Ill.: Free Press.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Jost, John T.; Glaser, Jack; Kruglanski, Arie W.; Sulloway, Frank J. (2003). "Political conservatism as motivated social cognition". Psychological Bulletin. 129 (3): 339–375.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Martin, John Levi (2001). "The Authoritarian Personality, 50 Years Later: What Questions Are There for Political Psychology?". Political Psychology. 22 (1): 1–26. doi:10.1111/0162-895X.00223.
• McClosky, Herbert; Chong, Dennis (1985). "Similarities and Differences between Left-Wing and Right-Wing Radicals". British Journal of Political Science. 15 (3): 329–363.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Further reading

• Adorno, Theodor W. (1950). The Authoritarian personality. New York: Harper.
• Shils, Edward (1954). "Authoritarianism: "Right" and "Left"". In Christie, Richard & Jahoda, Marie (eds.) (ed.). Studies in the scope and method of "The Authoritarian personality". Glencoe, Ill.: Free Press. {{cite book}}: |editor= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link)