Speaking (Un–)Truth to Power: Conspiracy Mentality as A Generalised Political Attitude

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roland Imhoff ◽  
Martin Bruder
Keyword(s):  
Social Action ◽  
Nuclear Reactor ◽  
Social Dominance Orientation ◽  
Political Attitude ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Personality Psychology ◽  
Total N ◽  
Right Wing Authoritarianism ◽  
The Status ◽  
Relationship Of

Conspiracy theories explain complex world events with reference to secret plots hatched by powerful groups. Belief in such theories is largely determined by a general propensity towards conspirational thinking. Such a conspiracy mentality can be understood as a generalised political attitude, distinct from established generalised political attitudes such as right–wing authoritarianism (RWA) and social dominance orientation (SDO) (Study 1a, N = 497) that is temporally relatively stable (Study 1b and 1c, total N = 196). Three further studies (combined N = 854) show that in contrast to RWA and SDO, conspiracy mentality is related to prejudice against high–power groups that are perceived as less likeable and more threatening than low–power groups, whereas SDO and RWA are associated with an opposite reaction to perceptions of power. Study 5 (N = 1852) investigates the relationship of conspiracy mentality with political behavioural intentions in a specific catastrophic scenario (i.e. the damage to the Fukushima nuclear reactor after the 2011 tsunami in Japan) revealing a hitherto neglected role of conspiracy mentality in motivating social action aimed at changing the status quo. Copyright © 2013 European Association of Personality Psychology.

Interest and Expertise Moderate the Relationship between Right–Wing Attitudes, Ideological Self–Placement and Voting

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luigi Leone ◽  
Marta Desimoni ◽  
Antonio Chirumbolo
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Social Dominance Orientation ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Personality Psychology ◽  
Total N ◽  
Right Wing Authoritarianism ◽  
Electoral Campaigns ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
Political Expertise ◽  
The Impact

Previous research has suggested that the association between right–wing authoritarianism (RWA) and social dominance orientation (SDO) is moderated by political interest and involvement. It is here hypothesized that interest also strengthens the association of authoritarianism with political self–placement and that higher levels of interest in politics shape voting choices that are more strongly associated with authoritarianism. Authoritarianism was defined as a second–order factor reflecting onto SDO and RWA in a structural equation modelling approach. In Study 1 (two samples, total N = 873), interest was found to moderate the impact of authoritarianism, as hypothesized. In Study 2 (N = 721), a higher order interaction involving interest and political expertise was detected. These results were obtained with different measures and in different electoral campaigns. The motivational and cognitive underpinnings of the moderating effects are discussed. Copyright © 2012 European Association of Personality Psychology.

scholarly journals The Two Dimensions of Narcissistic Personality and Support for the Radical Right: The Role of Right–Wing Authoritarianism, Social Dominance Orientation and Anti–Immigrant Sentiment

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina J. Mayer ◽  
Carl C. Berning ◽  
David Johann
Keyword(s):  
Social Dominance ◽  
Social Dominance Orientation ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Radical Right ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Grandiose Narcissism ◽  
Personality Psychology ◽  
Right Wing Authoritarianism ◽  
Radical Right Parties ◽  
Party Support

This paper offers an explanation of the link between grandiose narcissism and support for radical right parties. Drawing on representative data of the GESIS Panel ( N = 2827), focusing on support for the German radical right populist party Alternative for Germany in 2016 and treating grandiose narcissism as a two–dimensional concept, it is shown that the effects of grandiose narcissism are indirect rather than direct. The paper also reveals that it is mainly narcissistic rivalry that accounts for radical right party support, whereas narcissistic admiration has a protecting relationship. Finally, our results indicate that the indirect effects of narcissistic rivalry on radical right party support via right–wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation, respectively, are mediated by anti–immigrant sentiment. All in all, our results suggest that in studies on ideological orientations and voting behaviour, both dimensions of grandiose narcissism should be considered due to their contradictory relationship. Moreover, our findings indicate that the success of radical right parties might be the expression of personality dispositions of some parts of the electorate. © 2020 The Authors. European Journal of Personality published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Association of Personality Psychology

scholarly journals The intervening role of social worldviews in the relationship between the five‐factor model of personality and social attitudes

2007 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Van Hiel ◽  
I. Cornelis ◽  
A. Roets
Keyword(s):  
Factor Model ◽  
Five Factor Model ◽  
Social Dominance Orientation ◽  
Social Attitudes ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Personality Dimensions ◽  
Right Wing Authoritarianism ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Status

The present research investigates in a student (N = 183) and a voter sample (N = 276) whether the relationships between the Five‐Factor Model (FFM) personality dimensions and social attitudes (i.e. Right‐Wing Authoritarianism [RWA] and Social Dominance Orientation [SDO]) are mediated by social worldviews (i.e. dangerous and jungle worldviews). Two important results were obtained. First, the perception of the world as inherently dangerous and chaotic partially mediated the relationships of the personality dimensions Openness and Neuroticism and the social attitude RWA. Second, the jungle worldview completely mediated the relationships between Agreeableness and SDO, but considerable item overlap between the jungle worldview and SDO was also noted. It was further revealed that acquiescence response set and item overlap had an impact on social worldviews and attitudes, but that their relationships were hardly affected by these biases. The discussion focuses on the status of social worldviews to explain social attitudes. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Attachment and politics are two functionally distinct systems, and both share genetics with interpersonal trust and altruism

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Haarklau Kleppestø ◽  
Nikolai Olavi Czajkowski ◽  
Olav Vassend ◽  
Espen Røysamb ◽  
Nikolai Haahjem Eftedal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Social Dominance Orientation ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Social Hierarchies ◽  
Right Wing Authoritarianism ◽  
Care Giving ◽  
Genetic Overlap ◽  
Genetic Linkages ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

The evolved attachment system maintains proximity and care-giving behavior between parents and offspring, in a way that is argued to shape people’s mental models of how relationships work, resulting in secure, anxious or avoidant interpersonal styles. Several theorists have suggested that the attachment system is closely connected to orientations and behaviors in social and political domains, such that the latter are grounded in the same set of familial experiences as are the different attachment styles. We use a large sample of Norwegian twins (N = 1987) to assess the relationship between attachment styles and two key ideological orientations, right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) and social dominance orientation (SDO), and the role of genetic and environmental influences therein. We also consider the relationship of both sets of traits with the interpersonal orientations of trust and altruism. Results indicate no shared environmental overlap between attachment and ideology, nor even between the two attachment styles or between the two ideological traits, challenging conventional wisdom in developmental, social, and political psychology. Rather, evidence supports two functionally distinct systems, one for navigating intimate relationships and one for navigating social hierarchies, with genetic overlap between traits within each system, and two distinct genetic linkages to trust and altruism. We argue for further genetically informed research in other settings to elucidate the etiology and dynamics of these core aspects of our social and political nature.

scholarly journals On Self–Love and Outgroup Hate: Opposite Effects of Narcissism on Prejudice via Social Dominance Orientation and Right–Wing Authoritarianism

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 366-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Cichocka ◽  
Kristof Dhont ◽  
Arti P. Makwana ◽  
Mitja Back
Keyword(s):  
Social Dominance ◽  
Social Dominance Orientation ◽  
Big Five Personality ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Personality Psychology ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Right Wing Authoritarianism ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Self Worth ◽  
Ideological Attitudes

Previous research has obtained mixed findings as to whether feelings of self–worth are positively or negatively related to right–wing ideological beliefs and prejudice. We propose to clarify the link between self–worth and ideology by distinguishing between narcissistic and non–narcissistic self–evaluations as well as between different dimensions of ideological attitudes. Four studies, conducted in three different socio–political contexts: the UK (Study 1, N = 422), the US (Studies 2 and 3, Ns = 471 and 289, respectively), and Poland (Study 4, N = 775), investigated the associations between narcissistic and non–narcissistic self–evaluations, social dominance orientation (SDO), right–wing authoritarianism (RWA), and ethnic prejudice. Confirming our hypotheses, the results consistently showed that after controlling for self–esteem, narcissistic self–evaluation was positively associated with SDO (accounting for RWA), yet negatively associated with RWA (accounting for SDO). These associations were similar after controlling for psychopathy and Machiavellianism (Study 3) as well as collective narcissism and Big Five personality characteristics (Study 4). Studies 2–4 additionally demonstrated that narcissistic self–evaluation was indirectly positively associated with prejudice through higher SDO (free of RWA) but indirectly negatively associated with prejudice through lower RWA (free of SDO). Implications for understanding the role of self–evaluation in right–wing ideological attitudes and prejudice are discussed. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. European Journal of Personality published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Association of Personality Psychology

Differential Effects of Right–Wing Authoritarianism and Social Dominance Orientation on Dimensions of Generalized Prejudice in Brazil

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clara Cantal ◽  
Taciano L. Milfont ◽  
Marc S. Wilson ◽  
Valdiney V. Gouveia
Keyword(s):  
Social Dominance ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Social Dominance Orientation ◽  
Dual Process ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Personality Psychology ◽  
Differential Prediction ◽  
Right Wing Authoritarianism

Previous research within a dual–process cognitive–motivational theory of ideology and prejudice has indicated that dimensions of generalized prejudice are structured around attitudes towards dangerous, derogated and dissident groups, and that these prejudice dimensions are differentially predicted by the ideological attitudes of Right–Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) and Social Dominance Orientation (SDO). However, to date, these findings have been restricted to New Zealand samples. We describe two studies examining whether the structure of prejudiced attitudes and the differential prediction by RWA and SDO replicate in the Brazilian context, incorporating context–relevant examples of each group—politicians, those from the northeast region of Brazil, and environmentalists. Results broadly supported the three–factor structure of dangerous, derogated, and dissident groups. Consistent with previous research, regression and structural equation analyses showed that RWA explained prejudice against dangerous groups, SDO explained prejudice against derogated groups, and both RWA and SDO explained prejudice against dissident groups. This research provides some evidence for the generalizability of the three–dimensional structure of generalized prejudice and differential prediction by RWA and SDO. Copyright © 2014 European Association of Personality Psychology

The Structure and Sources of Right–wing Authoritarianism and Social Dominance Orientation

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 406-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Kandler ◽  
Edward Bell ◽  
Rainer Riemann
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Social Dominance ◽  
Social Dominance Orientation ◽  
Error Variance ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Personality Psychology ◽  
Right Wing Authoritarianism ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽  
Genetic Contributions ◽  
Peer Reports

Right–wing authoritarianism (RWA) and social dominance orientation (SDO) are widely used constructs in research on social and political attitudes. This study examined their hierarchical and correlative structure (across sexes, generations and rater perspectives), as well as how genetic and environmental factors may contribute to individual differences in them (using different rater perspectives and nuclear twin family data). We found a substantive common aspect (beyond shared artificial variance arising from socially desirable responding) underlying both RWA and SDO: aggression against subordinate groups. We discussed how this aspect could help to explain the commonly reported correlation between the two concepts in Western countries. Estimates of genetic and environmental components in RWA and SDO based on self–reports were quite comparable with those based on peer reports. When controlling for error variance and taking assortative mating into account, individual differences in RWA were primarily due to genetic contributions including genotype–environment correlation, whereas variance in SDO was largely attributable to environmental sources shared and not shared by twins. The findings are discussed in terms of the utility of RWA and SDO as basic constructs to describe individual differences in social attitudes and with respect to the different patterns of genetic and environmental influences that underlie them. Copyright © 2016 European Association of Personality Psychology

scholarly journals First Impressions of Faces of Refugees Are More Strongly Influenced by Target Cues and Perceiver Attitudes Than by Sheer Group Affiliation

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joscha Stecker ◽  
Paul C. Bürkner ◽  
Jens H. Hellmann ◽  
Steffen Nestler ◽  
Mitja D. Back
Keyword(s):  
Social Dominance ◽  
Political Ideology ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Social Dominance Orientation ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
First Impressions ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Group Affiliation ◽  
Total N ◽  
Right Wing Authoritarianism

The importance of first impressions for various intrapersonal, social and societal outcomes is well established. First impressions towards refugees as individual members of one of the most heatedly discussed social groups in Western societies should play a key role in facilitating or impeding successful social integration. However, this issue is currently underexplored. To help understand first impressions towards refugee individuals, we conducted two studies, in which German perceivers (total N = 938) evaluated 60 (Study 1) or 48 (Study 2) male target photos of Western individuals (presented as Germans) and Middle Eastern individuals (presented as refugees). In Study 2, we included information about targets’ religious affiliations (Christian, Muslim) and religiousness (weakly religious, devout). Targets’ facial characteristics (physical attractiveness, smiling) were coded, and perceiver attitudes (right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, right-wing political ideology) were assessed. Results showed (a) no overall devaluation of refugees or Muslims, (b) strong effects of target attractiveness and smiling on evaluations across individuals of different group affiliations, (c) strong effects of perceiver attitudes towards refugees and Muslims, and (d) no interactive effects of perceiver attitudes and target cues on evaluations. It is important to note that these results should not be interpreted as any doubt about the profound experiences of discrimination and prejudices faced by minorities such as refugees. Instead, they underline the utility of an individual differences approach to better understand the circumstances under which devaluations of minoritized individuals suchs as refugees are amplified or reduced.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document