Personality and Politics-I
Authoritarianism
Michael Milburn
Psychology 335
Authoritarianism—Group
Discussion Background
• What is an experiment?
• Elements:
– Manipulate IV and observe effect on DV
– Random assignment to treatment conditions
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What are different kinds of IVs?
Subject variables
Manipulated variables
What are different kinds of effects?
Main effects
Interactions
What is an interaction?
The effect of one variable is different for different levels
of a second variable
Experimental Example
• Two IVs—
– Gender (M/F)
– Treatment (Insult/Praise)
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One DV: self-esteem
How many main effects?
Two—one for each independent variable
How many interactions?
One—one two-way (2x2) interaction
The “Fragile Male Ego” hypothesis—an
interaction is predicted—males are affected more
than females by the insult
Females
Selfesteem
Males
Praise
Insult
Condition
Authoritarianism Group
Discussion
• What are the central elements of
authoritarianism?
• Punitiveness
• Deference to higher authority/punitiveness
to those lower in status (authoritarian
submission and authoritarian aggression)
Results
• Main effect for severity of crime
• Main effect for Authoritarianism
(punitiveness)
• Authoritarianism by Status Interaction
(authoritarian orientation toward authority)
– High authoritarians more punitive toward low
status than high status for same crime
– Low auth more punitive toward high status
than low status for same crime