Dispositional explanations of obedience

The authoritarian personality is a dispositional theory that explains why some people are more likely to obey authority figures because of their personality traits, rather than because of situational factors.

According to Adorno et al. (1950), the authoritarian personality develops during early childhood because of strict, harsh, and rigid parenting, where love and approval are dependent on the child's behaviour. Such experiences can lead to feelings of hostility and resentment that are later displaced onto weaker or lower-status individuals.

People with an authoritarian personality tend to be highly respectful and submissive towards authority figures, believing that power and status should be obeyed without question. They also tend to have rigid, conventional attitudes, a strong belief in powerful leaders, and can be intolerant of minority groups. At the same time, they are often hostile or dismissive towards those they perceive as inferior. These traits make them more likely to follow orders from authority figures, even when those orders go against their own moral values. Adorno measured these authoritarian traits using the F-scale.