The Authoritarian Personality Read online

  The Authoritarian Personality

  The Authoritarian

  Personality

  by

  T. W. Adorno

  Else Frenkel-Brunswik

  Daniel J. Levinson

  R. Nevitt Sanford

  in collaboration with

  Betty Aron, Maria Hertz Levinson

  and William Morrow

  with a new introduction by

  Peter E. Gordon

  This edition published by Verso 2019

  First published by Harper & Row, Inc. 1950

  © The American Jewish Committee 1950, 2019

  Introduction © Peter E. Gordon 2019

  All rights reserved

  The moral rights of the authors have been asserted

  1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

  Verso

  UK: 6 Meard Street, London W1F 0EG

  US: 20 Jay Street, Suite 1010, Brooklyn, NY 11201

  versobooks.com

  Verso is the imprint of New Left Books

  ISBN-13: 978-1-78873-164-5

  ISBN-13: 978-1-78873-166-9 (UK EBK)

  ISBN-13: 978-1-78873-165-2 (US EBK)

  British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

  A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress

  Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon CR0 4YY

  CONTENTS

  INTRODUCTION BY PETER E. GORDON

  REMARKS ON THE AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY BY T. W. ADORNO

  FOREWORD TO STUDIES IN PREJUDICE

  PREFACE BY MAX HORKHEIMER

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I.INTRODUCTION

  A. THE PROBLEM

  B. METHODOLOGY

  1. General Characteristics of the Method; 2. The Techniques

  C. PROCEDURES IN THE COLLECTION OF DATA

  1. The Groups Studied; 2. The Distribution and Collection of Questionnaires; 3. The Selection of Subjects for Intensive Clinical Study

  PART I

  THE MEASUREMENT OF IDEOLOGICAL TRENDS

  II.THE CONTRASTING IDEOLOGIES OF TWO COLLEGE MEN: A PRELIMINARY VIEW—R. Nevitt Sanford

  A. INTRODUCTION

  B. MACK: A MAN HIGH ON ETHNOCENTRISM

  C. LARRY: A MAN LOW ON ETHNOCENTRISM

  D. ANALYSIS OF THE TWO CASES

  1. Ideology Concerning the Jews; 2. General Ethnocentrism; 3. Politics; 4. Religion; 5. Vocation and Income

   III.THE STUDY OF ANTI-SEMITIC IDEOLOGY-Daniel J. Levinson

  A. INTRODUCTION

  B. CONSTRUCTION OF THE ANTI-SEMITISM (A-S) SCALE

  1. General Rules in Item Formulation; 2. Major Subdivisions or Areas: The Subscales; 3. The Total Anti-Semitism (A-S) Scale

  C. RESULTS: STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE SCALE

  1. Reliability; 2. Intercorrelations of the Subscales; 3. Internal Consistency: Statistical Analysis of the Individual Items

  D. THE SHORT FORM OF THE A-S SCALE

  E. VALIDATION BY CASE STUDIES: THE RESPONSES OF MACK AND LARRY ON THE A-S SCALE

  F. DISCUSSION: THE STRUCTURE OF ANTI-SEMITIC IDEOLOGY

   IV.THE STUDY OF ETHNOCENTRIC IDEOLOGY-Daniel J. Levinson

  A. INTRODUCTION

  B. CONSTRUCTION OF THE ETHNOCENTRISM (E) SCALE

  1. Major Subdivisions or Areas: The Subscales; 2. The Total Ethnocentrism (E) Scale

  C. RESULTS: STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE SCALE

  1. Reliability; 2. Intercorrelations Among the Sub-scales; 3. Internal Consistency: Statistical Analysis of the Individual Items; 4. Second Form of the E Scale (Form 78)

  D. THE INCLUSION OF ANTI-SEMITISM WITHIN GENERAL ETHNOCENTRISM

  1. The Third Form of the E Scale (Form 60); 2. The Fourth Form of the E Scale (Forms 45 and 40); 3. A Suggested Final E Scale

  E. VALIDATION BY CASE STUDIES: THE RESPONSES OF MACK AND LARRY ON THE E SCALE

  F. CONCLUSIONS: THE STRUCTURE OF ETHNOCENTRIC IDEOLOGY

  V.POLITICO-ECONOMIC IDEOLOGY AND GROUP MEMBERSHIPS IN RELATION TO ETHNOCENTRISM—Daniel J. Levinson

  A. INTRODUCTION

  B. CONSTRUCTION OF THE POLITICO-ECONOMIC CONSERVATISM (PEC) SCALE

  1. Some Major Trends in Contemporary Liberalism and Conservatism; 2. The Initial PEC Scale (Form 78); 3. The Second PEC Scale (Form 60); 4. The Third PEC Scale (Forms 45 and 40); 5. Discussion: Some Patterns of Contemporary Liberalism and Conservatism

  C. THE RELATION RETWEEN ETHNOCENTRISM AND CONSERVATISM

  D. VALIDATION BY CASE STUDIES: THE RESPONSES OF MACK AND LARRY ON THE PEC SCALE

  E. THE RELATION BETWEEN ETHNOCENTRISM AND MEMBERSHIP IN VARIOUS POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC GROUPINGS

  F. CONCLUSIONS

  VI.ETHNOCENTRISM IN RELATION TO SOME RELIGIOUS ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES-R. Nevitt Sanford

  A. INTRODUCTION

  B. RESULTS

  1. Religious Group Memberships; 2. “Importance” of Religion and the Church; 3. Scale Items

  C. DISCUSSION

  D. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

  VII.THE MEASUREMENT OF IMPLICIT ANTIDEMOCRATIC TRENDS-R. Nevitt Sanford, T. W. Adorno, Else Frenkel-Brunswik, and Daniel J. Levinson

  A. INTRODUCTION

  B. CONSTRUCTION OF THE FASCISM (F) SCALE

  1. The Underlying Theory; 2. The Formulation of Scale Items

  C. RESULTS WITH SUCCESSIVE FORMS OF THE F SCALE

  1. Statistical Properties of the Preliminary Scale (Form 78); 2. Item Analysis and Revision of the Preliminary Scale; 3. The Second F Scale: Form 60; 4. The Third F Scale: Forms 45 and 40

  D. CORRELATIONS OF THE F SCALE WITH E AND WITH PEC

  E. DIFFERENCES IN MEAN F-SCALE SCORE AMONG VARIOUS GROUPS

  F. VALIDATION BY CASE STUDIES: THE F-SCALE RESPONSES OF MACK AND LARRY

  G. CONCLUSION

   VIII.ETHNOCENTRISM IN RELATION TO INTELLIGENCE AND EDUCATION-Daniel J. Levinson

  PART II

  PERSONALITY AS REVEALED THROUGH CLINICAL INTERVIEWS

  IX.THE INTERVIEWS AS AN APPROACH TO THE PREJUDICED PERSONALITY-Else Frenkel-Brunswik

  A. INTRODUCTION: COMPARISON OF GROUPS

  B. SELECTION OF SUBJECTS FOR THE INTERVIEWS

  1. Basis of Selection; 2. Representativeness of the Interviewees; 3. Approaching the Interviewees

  C. THE INTERVIEWERS

  D. SCOPE AND TECHNIQUE OF THE INTERVIEW

  1. General Plan for the Interview; 2. “Underlying” and “Manifest” Questions; 3. General Instructions to the Interviewers

  E. THE INTERVIEW SCHEDULE

  1. Vocation; 2. Income; 3. Religion; 4. Clinical Data; 5. Politics; 6. Minorities and “Race”

  F. THE SCORING OF THE INTERVIEWS

  1. Quantification of Interview Data; 2. Broad Outline of Categories in the Interview Scoring Manual; 3. The Interview Rating Procedure and the Raters; 4. Reliability of the Interview Ratings; 5. Minimizing Halo-Effects in Rating the Interviews; 6. Tabulation of Interview Ratings by Categories: Statistical Significance

    X.PARENTS AND CHILDHOOD AS SEEN THROUGH THE INTERVIEWS-Else Frenkel-Brunswik

  A. INTRODUCTION

  B. ATTITUDES TOWARD PARENTS AND CONCEPTION OF THE FAMILY

  1. Definition of Rating Categories and Quantitative Results; 2. Idealization vs. Objective Appraisal of Parents; 3. Genuineness of Affect; 4. Feelings of Victimization; 5. Submission vs. Principled Independence; 6. Dependence for Things vs. Dependence for Love; 7. Ingroup Orientation to the Family

  C. CONCEPTIONS OF CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENT

  1. Definition of Rating Categories and Quantitative Results; 2. Image of the Fat
her in Men: Distant and Stern vs. Relaxed and Mild; 3. Image of the Father in Women: The Role of Provider; 4. Image of the Mother: Sacrifice, Moralism, Restrictiveness; 5. Parental Conflict; 6. Father-Dominated vs. Mother-Oriented Home; 7. Discipline: Harsh Application of Rules vs. Assimilation of Principles

  D. CHILDHOOD EVENTS AND ATTITUDES TOWARD SIBLINGS

  1. Definition of Rating Categories and Quantitative Results; 2. Attitudes Toward Siblings; 3. Childhood Events; 4. Status Concern

  E. SUMMARY AND CONCLUDING REMARKS ON FAMILY PATTERNS

   XI.SEX, PEOPLE, AND SELF AS SEEN THROUGH THE INTERVIEWS-Else Frenkel-Brunswik

  A. ATTITUDE TOWARD SEX

  1. Definition of Rating Categories and Quantitative Results; 2. Status via Sex; 3. Moralistic Rejection of Instinctual Tendencies; 4. “Pure” vs. “Bad” Women; 5. Ego-Alien Ambivalence vs. “Fondness”; 6. Exploitive Manipulation for Power; 7. Conventionality vs. Individualism; 8. Summary

  B. ATTITUDE TOWARD PEOPLE

  1. Definition of Rating Categories and Quantitative Results; 2. Moralistic Condemnation vs. Permissiveness; 3. Extrapunitiveness; 4. World as Jungle; 5. Hierarchical vs. Equalitarian Conception of Human Relations; 6. Dependence for Things; 7. Manipulation vs. Libidinization of People and Genuine Work Adjustment; 8. Social Status vs. Intrinsic Worth in Friendship; 9. Summary

  C. ATTITUDE TOWARD PRESENT SELF

  1. Definition of Rating Categories and Quantitative Results; 2. Self-Glorification vs. Objective Appraisal; 3. Masculinity and Femininity; 4. Conventionalism and Moralism; 5. Conformity of Self and Ideal; 6. Denial of Sociopsychological Causation; 7. Property as Extension of Self

  D. CONCEPTION OF CHILDHOOD SELF

  1. Definition of Rating Categories and Quantitative Results; 2. “Difficult” Child; 3. Blandness vs. Adult-Orientation; 4. Contrasting Picture of Childhood and Present; 5. Summary of Attitude Toward Present Self and Childhood Self

  XII.DYNAMIC AND COGNITIVE PERSONALITY ORGANIZATION AS SEEN THROUGH THE INTERVIEWS—Else Frenkel-Brunswik

  A. DYNAMIC CHARACTER STRUCTURE

  1. Definition of Rating Categories and Quantitative Results; 2. Orality and Anality; 3. Dependence; 4. Aggression; 5. Ambivalence; 6. Identification; 7. Superego; 8. Strength of the Ego; 9. Distortion of Reality; 10. Physical Symptoms

  B. COGNITIVE PERSONALITY ORGANIZATION

  1. Definition of Rating Categories and Quantitative Resuits

  2. Rigidity; 3. Negative Attitude Toward Science. Superstition; 4. Anti-Intraceptiveness and Autism; 5. Suggestibility

     XIII.COMPREHENSIVE SCORES AND SUMMARY OF INTERVIEW RESULTS-Else Frenkel-Brunswik

  A. THE DISCRIMINATORY POWERS OF THE MAJOR AREAS STUDIED

  1. Verification of Anticipated Trend by Categories; 2. Composite Ratings for Seven Major Areas

  B. VALITITY OF OVER-ALL SCORES AND RATINGS OF THE INTERVIEWS

  1. Individual Composite Score Based on All Areas of Rating; 2. Over-all Intuitive Rating and Its Agreement with the Composite Score; 3. Agreement with the Questionnaire Results

  C. SUMMARY OF THE PERSONALITY PATTERNS DERIVED FROM THE INTERVIEWS

  1. Introduction; 2. Repression vs. Awareness; 3. Externalization vs. Internalization; 4. Conventionalism vs. Genuineness; 5. Power vs. Love-Orientation; 6. Rigidity vs. Flexibility. Problems of Adjustment; 7. Some Genetic Aspects; 8. Cultural Outlook

  PART III

  PERSONALITY AS REVEALED THROUGH PROJECTIVE MATERIAL

    XIV.THE THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST IN THE STUDY OF PREJUDICED AND UNPREJUDICED INDIVIDUALS-Betty Aron

  A. TESTING PROCEDURE

  1. The Sample Tested; 2. Technique of Administration; 3. The Pictures Used

  B. METHOD OF ANALYSIS OF THE STORY PROTOCOLS

  1. The Murray-Sanford Scheme; 2. Thematic Analysis

  C. THE T.A.T.S OF MACK AND LARRY

  1. Larry’s Stories; 2. Mack’s Stories; 3. Analysis of the Stories

  D. SUMMARY

   XV.PROJECTIVE QUESTIONS IN THE STUDY OF PERSONALITY AND IDEOLOGY-Daniel J. Levinson

  A. INTRODUCTION

  B. QUANTIFICATION BY MEANS OF SCORING CATEGORIES

  C. SCORING MANUAL: CATEGORIES OF PROJECTIVE QUESTION RESPONSE

  D. RESULTS

  1. Reliability of Scoring; 2. Projective Question Scores in Relation to Standing on the E Scale; 3. Validation by Means of Case Studies: Mack and Larry

  E. CONCLUSIONS

  1. General Ego Functioning; 2. Specific Properties of the Ego; 3. Achievement Values vs. Conventional Values; 4. The Handling of Dependency as an Underlying Trend; 5. The Handling of Other Trends

  PART IV

  QUALITATIVE STUDIES OF IDEOLOGY

  INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

     XVI.PREJUDICE IN THE INTERVIEW MATERIAL-T. W. Adorno

  A. INTRODUCTION

  B. THE “FUNCTIONAL” CHARACTER OF ANTI-SEMITISM

  C. THE IMAGINARY FOE

  D. ANTI-SEMITISM FOR WHAT?

  E. TWO KINDS OF JEWS

  F. THE ANTI-SEMITE’S DILEMMA

  G. PROSECUTOR AS JUDGE

  H. THE MISFIT BOURGEOIS

  I. OBSERVATIONS ON LOW-SCORING SUBJECTS

  J. CONCLUSION

   XVII.POLITICS AND ECONOMICS IN THE INTERVIEW MATERIAL-T. W. Adorno

  A. INTRODUCTION

  B. FORMAL CONSTITUENTS OF POLITICAL THINKING

  1. Ignorance and Confusion; 2. Ticket Thinking and Personalization in Politics; 3. Surface Ideology and Real Opinion; 4. Pseudoconservatism; 5. The Usurpation Complex; 6. F.D.R.; 7. Bureaucrats and Politicians; 8. There Will Be No Utopia; 9. No Pity for the Poor; 10. Education Instead of Social Change

  C. SOME POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC TOPICS

  1. Unions; 2. Business and Government; 3. Political Issues Close to the Subjects; 4. Foreign Policy and Russia; 5. Communism

  XVIII.SOME ASPECTS OF RELIGIOUS IDEOLOGY AS REVEALED IN THE INTERVIEW MATERIAL-T. W. Adorno

  A. INTRODUCTION

  B. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

  C. SPECIFIC ISSUES

  1. The Function of Religion in High and Low Scorers; 2. Belief in God, Disbelief in Immortality; 3. The Irreligious Low Scorer; 4. Religious Low Scorers

   XIX.TYPES AND SYNDROMES-T. W. Adorno

  A. THE APPROACH

  B. SYNDROMES FOUND AMONG HIGH SCORERS

  1. Surface Resentment; 2. The “Conventional” Syndrome; 3. The “Authoritarian” Syndrome; 4. The Rebel and the Psychopath; 5. The Crank; 6. The “Manipulative” Type

  C. SYNDROMES FOUND AMONG LOW SCORERS

  1. The “Rigid” Low Scorer; 2. The “Protesting” Low Scorer; 3. The “Impulsive” Low Scorer; 4. The “Easy-Going” Low Scorer; 5. The Genuine Liberal

  PART V

  APPLICATIONS TO INDIVIDUALS AND TO SPECIAL GROUPS

  XX.GENETIC ASPECTS OF THE AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY: CASE STUDIES OF TWO CONTRASTING INDIVIDUALS-R. Nevitt Sanford

  A. INTRODUCTION

  B. THE CASE OF MACK

  1. Environmental Forces and Events; 2. Deeper Personality Needs; 3. Dynamics of Surface Behavior and Attitudes

  C. THE CONTRASTING CASE OF LARRY

    XXI.CRIMINALITY AND ANTIDEMOCRATIC TRENDS: A STUDY OF PRISON INMATES—William R. Morrow

  A. INTRODUCTION

  1. The Problem; 2. Sampling and Administration; 3. Plan of Discussion

  B. ETHNOCENTRISM

  1. General Questionnaire Statistics and Their Significance; 2. Ideology Concerning Negroes: A Submerged Outgroup; 3. Ideology Concerning Jews: A Supposed “Dominant” Outgroup

  C. POLITICO-ECONOMIC ATTITUDES

  D. MORALS AND RELIGION

  E. DEFENSES AGAINST WEAKNESS

  F. HETEROSEXUALITY

  G. ANTI-INTRACEPTIVENESS AND CHILDHOOD

  H. ATTITUDES TO PARENTS

  I. “CRIMINALITY” IN HIGH AND LOW SCORERS

   XXII.PSYCHOLOGICAL ILL HEALTH IN RELATION TO POTENTIAL FASCISM: A STUDY OF PSYCHIATRIC CLINIC PATIENTS—Maria Hertz Levinson

 
A. INTRODUCTION

  B. THE NATURE OF THE SAMPLE

  C. STATISTICAL RESULTS FROM THE QUESTIONNAIRE

  D. RELATIONSHIP OF ETHNOCENTRISM TO VARIOUS PSYCHIATRIC CLASSIFICATIONS

  1. Ethnocentrism in Relation to Neurosis and Psychosis; 2. Ethnocentrism in Relation to Specific Diagnostic Categories

  E. ETHNOCENTRISM IN RELATION TO THE MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY

  F. PERSONALITY TRENDS AS REVEALED BY PATIENTS’ “STATEMENT OF PROBLEM” IN THE FIRST PSYCHIATRIC INTERVIEW

  1. Selection of Material; 2. The Scoring Manual: Description of Variables; 3. The Method of Quantification; 4. The Reliability of the Measures; 5. Relationship Between Ratings and Ethnocentrism Score; 6. Summary

  G. CLINICAL PICTURES AND PERSONALITIES OF HIGH AND LOW SCORERS

  1. The High Scorers

  2. The Low Scorers; 3. The “Middles”

  H. CONCLUSIONS

  XXIII.CONCLUSIONS

  NOTES

  REFERENCES

  INDEX

  TABLES AND FIGURES

  1

  (I)

  Groups from Whom Questionnaires Were Collected

  1

  (III)

  Anti-Semitism Subscale “Offensive”

  2

  (III)

  Anti-Semitism Subscale “Threatening”

  3

  (III)

  Anti-Semitism Subscale “Attitudes”

  4

  (III)

  Anti-Semitism Subscales “Seclusive vs. Intrusive”

  5

  (III)

  “Neutral” Items in the Anti-Semitism Scale

  6

  (III)

  The Total Anti-Semitism Scale

  Public Opinion Questionnaire A

  The Total Anti-Semitism Scale

  Public Opinion Questionnaire S

  7

  (III)

  Reliability of the Anti-Semitism Scale and Its Subscales

  8

  (III)

  Intercorrelations of the A-S Subscales

  9

  (III)

  Anti-Semitism Scale: Item Means and Discriminatory Powers University of California Women

  10

  (III)

  The Ten-Item A-S Scale (Form 78)

  11