The main criticisms that psychologists have directed at the F Scale are: its Rightist political bias [Christie and Jahoda, 1954], its lack of behavioral validity [Titus and Hollander, 1957], its educational bias [Brown, 1965 ], and its failure to control against acquiescent response bias [Ray, 1984a ].

Nevitt Sanford (Adorno, et al. 1950) proposed a psychodynamic theory of prejudice and ideology that was intended to explain why economic frustration brought on by World War I and the Great Depression contributed to the mass popularity of fascist movements in Europe from the 1920s to the 1940s.

Theodor Ludwig Wiesengrund Adorno (September 11, 1903 – August 6, 1969) was a German sociologist, philosopher, musicologist and composer. He was a member of the Frankfurt School along with Max Horkheimer, Walter Benjamin, Herbert Marcuse, Jürgen Habermas and others. He was also the Music Director of the Radio Project.

Adorno had been a member of the “Frankfurt School”, a group of philosophers and Marxist theorists who fled Germany when Hitler shut down their Institute for Social Research. Adorno et al. were thus motivated by a desire to identify and measure factors that were believed to contribute to antisemitic and fascist traits.

Hence, in “Late Capitalism or Industrial Society?,” also known as “Is Marx Obsolete?” (1968), Adorno answers that Marx is both permanently relevant this side of emancipation from capital, and obsolete in the sense that the problem of capital necessarily appears differently than it did to Marx.

Milgram and Elms

The first scale is called the Right Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) and the second is called the Social Dominance Orientation (SDO). They have proved to be highly reliable in predicting prejudice and other characteristics associated with authoritative personalities.

Elms and Milgram

People with an authoritarian personality tend to be rigid thinkers, who are obedient to authority in most cases. People with such a personality are more obedient because they see authority figures more legitimately than people without, and feel like they must obey to maintain their position and uphold societal values.

Should you encounter such a beast then here are some hints and tips for coping:

1. Understand what motivates an autocratic leader.
2. Know the weaknesses of an autocratic leader.
3. Never take it personally.
4. How to deal with autocratic bosses:
5. Don´t try to change them.
6. Focus on your work.
7. Avoid fights.
8. Do not be defensive.

Bob Altemeyer

The authoritarian personality is thought to emerge from childhood experiences. This reasoning comes from Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory. Freud suggested that childhood experiences, especially those with parents, lead to people’s attitudes as adults.

Authoritarianism, principle of blind submission to authority, as opposed to individual freedom of thought and action. In government, authoritarianism denotes any political system that concentrates power in the hands of a leader or a small elite that is not constitutionally responsible to the body of the people.

Authoritarianism is the opposite of individualism in democracy, marked by submission to authority. In this system, the political power is condensed into one authority figure, who has unchecked power. Totalitarianism is when the person in power seeks to control every aspect of public and private life.