Which description best captures the authoritarian personality as it relates to obedience?

Which description best captures the authoritarian personality as it relates to obedience?

• A. A situational factor shaped by immediate group pressure.
• B. A dispositional factor associated with strict upbringing and conventional attitudes.
• C. A cultural construct with no empirical evidence.
• D. A tendency to disobey higher-status individuals.

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is that obedience can stem from a stable, dispositional tendency in a person, not just what happens in a single situation. The authoritarian personality describes a relatively enduring pattern of attitudes—characterized by submission to authority, aggression toward outgroups, and a strong adherence to conventional values. This trait is thought to develop from upbringing that is strict and punitive, fostering rigidity and conventional thinking. Because it reflects a lasting aspect of who someone is, it best explains obedience as a dispositional factor: people with this profile are more likely to submit to authority across different contexts. The other descriptions don’t fit as well. Obedience driven mainly by immediate group pressure points to a situational influence rather than a personal, stable trait. Claiming there’s no empirical evidence ignores substantial research that has linked authoritarian tendencies to obedience. Describing a tendency to disobey higher-status individuals is the opposite of what the authoritarian personality predicts.

The idea being tested is that obedience can stem from a stable, dispositional tendency in a person, not just what happens in a single situation. The authoritarian personality describes a relatively enduring pattern of attitudes—characterized by submission to authority, aggression toward outgroups, and a strong adherence to conventional values. This trait is thought to develop from upbringing that is strict and punitive, fostering rigidity and conventional thinking. Because it reflects a lasting aspect of who someone is, it best explains obedience as a dispositional factor: people with this profile are more likely to submit to authority across different contexts.

The other descriptions don’t fit as well. Obedience driven mainly by immediate group pressure points to a situational influence rather than a personal, stable trait. Claiming there’s no empirical evidence ignores substantial research that has linked authoritarian tendencies to obedience. Describing a tendency to disobey higher-status individuals is the opposite of what the authoritarian personality predicts.