Adorno et al. (1950)

Aim: To investigate unconscious attitudes towards other racial groups and to identify the personality characteristics associated with prejudice and obedience to authority.

Method: Adorno and his colleagues studied over 2,000 middle-class White Americans. They used a range of questionnaires to measure authoritarian traits, including the F-scale, which was designed to assess fascist tendencies. The researchers believed that fascism was linked to an authoritarian personality. The F-scale included statements such as 'Obedience and respect for authority are the most important virtues children should learn'. Participants indicated how strongly they agreed or disagreed with each statement. Their responses were then used to identify whether they showed authoritarian tendencies.

Results: Adorno et al. found that participants who scored highly on the F-scale tended to:

• admire strong authority figures and those in positions of power

• look down on, and show disrespect towards, people they saw as weak

• be preoccupied with status and power, both their own and others'

• think in rigid categories and place people into stereotypical groups

• show higher levels of prejudice

Conclusion: Adorno and his colleagues concluded that people with an authoritarian personality tend to be especially obedient and respectful towards authority figures. They are also more likely to be submissive, intolerant of uncertainty, and rigid in their thinking. This means they often see the world in fixed categories of right and wrong and are more likely to hold prejudiced attitudes. Adorno argued that such individuals believe society needs strong leadership and strict traditional values.

EXAM HINT: It is important to keep in mind that a correlation, like the one found by Adorno and his colleagues between authoritarianism and prejudice, only shows a relationship and not causation.