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Author | Topic: Are You an Authoritarian? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Percy Member Posts: 22502 From: New Hampshire Joined: Member Rating: 4.9 |
The Authoritarians by Bob Altemeyer was just called to my attention by Lithodid-Man in Message 50. It purports to explain why even logic and facts fail to convince religious fundamentalists. At the heart of Altemeyer's ideas lies the concept of authoritarianism, which he describes like this on page 2:
Altemeyer writes: Authoritarianism is something authoritarian followers and authoritarian leaders cook up between themselves. It happens when the followers submit too much to the leaders, trust them too much, and give them too much leeway to do whatever they want--which often is something undemocratic, tyrannical and brutal. In my day, authoritarian fascist and authoritarian communist dictatorships posed the biggest threats to democracies, and eventually lost to them in wars both hot and cold. But authoritarianism itself has not disappeared, and I'm going to present the case in this book that the greatest threat to American democracy today arises from a militant authoritarianism that has become a cancer upon the nation. Altemeyer has developed what he calls the RWA scale, which measures receptivity to authoritarian influences, and he's devised a simple test, which I reproduce here:
Altemeyer's RWA Test writes: This survey is part of an investigation of general public opinion concerning a variety of social issues. You will probably find that you agree with some of the statements, and disagree with others, to varying extents. Please indicate your reaction to each statement on the line to the left of each item according to the following scale:
Write down a -4 if you very strongly disagree with the statement. Write down a -3 if you strongly disagree with the statement. Write down a -2 if you moderately disagree with the statement. Write down a -1 if you slightly disagree with the statement. Write down a +1 if you slightly agree with the statement. Write down a +2 if you moderately agree with the statement. Write down a +3 if you strongly agree with the statement. Write down a +4 if you very strongly agree with the statement. If you feel exactly and precisely neutral about an item, write down a 0. ("Dr. Bob" to reader: We’ll probably stay friends longer if you read this paragraph.) Important: You may find that you sometimes have different reactions to different parts of a statement. For example, you might very strongly disagree ("-4") with one idea in a statement, but slightly agree ("+1") with another idea in the same item. When this happens, please combine your reactions, and write down how you feel on balance (a "-3" in this case).
To score the test, go to page 13 of Altemeyer's book, the link is at the top of this message. I scored 44. Are you an authoritarian? Take the test and find out! --Percy Edited by Percy, : Fix link.
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NosyNed Member Posts: 9004 From: Canada Joined: |
That link doesn't work for me.
I also see some problems with the test. 1. It isn't hard to see how to mess with the results.2. There are some questions that are more about political or other beliefs than just your attitude to authority.
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ICANT Member Posts: 6769 From: SSC Joined: Member Rating: 1.6 |
Hi Ned,
You can find the entire pdf. Here God Bless, Edited by ICANT, : No reason given. "John 5:39 (KJS) Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."
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ICANT Member Posts: 6769 From: SSC Joined: Member Rating: 1.6 |
Hi Percy,
Nice score there, my score 72. God Bless, "John 5:39 (KJS) Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."
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Percy Member Posts: 22502 From: New Hampshire Joined: Member Rating: 4.9 |
Hi Ned,
Apologies about the link to Altemeyer's book, it works now, here it is again: The Authoritarians.
1. It isn't hard to see how to mess with the results. 2. There are some questions that are more about political or other beliefs than just your attitude to authority. Right you are, and Altemeyer is aware of this. Beginning on page 13 he says, "Let me give you three compelling reasons why you should treat your personal score with a grain of salt..." The book's a good and fun read. I hate reading books on-line and I'm already up to page 35. --Percy Edited by Percy, : Fix link.
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Fosdick  Suspended Member (Idle past 5528 days) Posts: 1793 From: Upper Slobovia Joined: |
...yada yada...
What does this have to do with authoritarianism? According to the Altemeyer questionnaire the keys to understanding authoritarianism are based mainly on three things: sexual identity, religiosity, and politics. As such, this is a bogus questionnaire. A better test for authoritarianism would focus on three different characteristics: insecurity, aggression, and domination. I suspect Altemeyer is insecure about his sexuality, aggressive about his religiosity, and domineering about his politics. ...yada yada... 21. Homosexuals and feminists should be praised for being brave enough to defy "traditional family values. If you want to observe authoritarianism just follow the insecure, aggressive, and political actions of the EvC admins. I can see Lower Slobovia from my house.
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cavediver Member (Idle past 3672 days) Posts: 4129 From: UK Joined: |
I suspect Altemeyer is insecure about his sexuality I suspect a nerve has been touched ABE: I scored 37 BTW Edited by cavediver, : No reason given.
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Modulous Member Posts: 7801 From: Manchester, UK Joined: |
21. Homosexuals and feminists should be praised for being brave enough to defy "traditional family values. The question seems to be asking about defying traditional views, not sexual identity. If you think defying tradition is something that is praiseworthy you are less likely to be authoritarian, yes? You'd do better to have pointed at something like point four, I would have thought.
If you want to observe authoritarianism just follow the insecure, aggressive, and political actions of the EvC admins. The fact that you point out how awful the administration is here on a fairly frequent basis, on the other hand, is obviously a clear indicator of how secure you feel, Fearless Fosdick Edited by Modulous, : changed 'question' to 'point' since they aren't really questions.
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Admin Director Posts: 13040 From: EvC Forum Joined: Member Rating: 2.2 |
Hi Fosdick,
You were requested to avoid gay topics because you're a gay-baiter/instigator. We took a vote a few weeks ago in the admin forum that came out 3-0 for permanent suspension for you, and I held off because it wasn't 4-0. Because you are again attempting to raise gay issues I'm suspending you indefinitely. Thank you for your contributions here, and may you fare well in all your future endeavors.
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Modulous Member Posts: 7801 From: Manchester, UK Joined: |
Some of the questions do seem odd. For those curious about them, read the book. OK, that's not much help. One of the characteristics of a RWA is their desire to be normal, to fit in, and their desire that everybody else does and that nobody rock the boat of normality.
Those that are significantly different, or are viewed as such, are often seen as 'bad' in some way since they are upsetting Social balance, which means a threatened collapse of society at the merest whisper of change. The book goes on to describe strong correlations with high scoring RWAs and certain behaviour and there is a correlation of people with those behaviours and their opinion that homosexuals are in some way immoral. It is also generally true, that RWAs who hold this opinion are generally those with little or no experience of knowing homosexuals. And limited experience, being kept within the 'safe' confines of an authority sphere (parenthood, a church whatever) is strongly correlated with having issues with those outside of it. The good news is that as people go into the 'real world' and actually meet Arabs, homosexuals and so on, their views on these people mellow considerably. And there are people who start with high RWAs that don't have much hostility towards homosexuals, Altermeyer doesn't claim each element is an absolute indicator. I'm not entirely sure I'm on board with Altermeyer just yet (heh - maybe its because of my low 40s score...), but its interesting reading. I particularly enjoyed the Global Change Game anecdote: it'd be nice if there was a decent study on that.
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lyx2no Member (Idle past 4744 days) Posts: 1277 From: A vast, undifferentiated plane. Joined: |
I scored a 69, but don't any of you get the idea when I take over the world I'm going to go easy on you.
Storm trooper applications can be submitted at the front desk of the Personnel Office on the third floor. Thank you. Genesis 2 17 But of the ponderosa pine, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou shinniest thereof thou shalt sorely learn of thy nakedness. 18 And we all live happily ever after. |
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RAZD Member (Idle past 1433 days) Posts: 20714 From: the other end of the sidewalk Joined: |
The book can also be accessed by chapter here
http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~altemey/ I read it two years ago (from this thread by Coragyps), and I thought he had a valid point then and still do. It is the authoritarians than enabled schrubbia et al after all. I loved where he got the people to play war games after dividing them (unobtrusively) into RWA types and non-RWA types.
quote: Um, no I don't have to admire them, no matter how much I concur with their position. They can still be perfectly despicable individuals. I also had a lot of 3's because I don't feel absolute answers are justified either:
quote: There certainly are some immoral people whome the authorities should prosecute when they break laws, and should not get any special deal just because they are "radical, immoral people" I scored 45 After the scoring is done he has a discussion of the results that should be read before anyone starts comparing results:
quote: The second one is why I had some trouble with the "honor the ways of our forefathers" phrase -- does he mean the founding fathers of this country? I took it that way. Enjoy Edited by RAZD, : link we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand Rebel American Zen Deist ... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ... to share. • • • Join the effort to solve medical problems, AIDS/HIV, Cancer and more with Team EvC! (click) • • •
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Coragyps Member (Idle past 763 days) Posts: 5553 From: Snyder, Texas, USA Joined: |
As I recall, I scored somewhere in the 30's back when I read the book. Being an old retired hippy, that's expected....
I probably need to reread this. I thought it was very a interesting piece of work, and I should try to get some of my Limbaugh-revering coworkers to read it too. Not that they would actually do so.....
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Taz Member (Idle past 3320 days) Posts: 5069 From: Zerus Joined: |
I don't get it. Is there a link to a test?
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Larni Member Posts: 4000 From: Liverpool Joined: |
I scored 37.
I think that means I'm a card carrying liberal I do have to say that any one reading that may react to the religious nature of some of the questions. If you don't believe in god you may well score lower. I think a better scale would have removed the religious statements.
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