Research Article

Inter- and intrapersonal processes underlying authoritarianism: The role of social conformity and personal need for structure

  1. Philipp Jugert1,*,
  2. J. Christopher Cohrs1,†,
  3. John Duckitt2

Article first published online: 17 JUL 2009

DOI: 10.1002/per.735

Issue

European Journal of Personality

European Journal of Personality

Volume 23, Issue 7, pages 607–621, November 2009

Additional Information

How to Cite

Jugert, P., Cohrs, J. C. and Duckitt, J. (2009), Inter- and intrapersonal processes underlying authoritarianism: The role of social conformity and personal need for structure. Eur. J. Pers., 23: 607–621. doi: 10.1002/per.735

Author Information

  1. 1

    International Graduate College, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany

  2. 2

    Department of Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand

  1. †

    School of Psychology, Queen's University, Belfast, UK.

*International Graduate College, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Wildstr. 1, 07743 Jena, Germany.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 16 SEP 2009
  2. Article first published online: 17 JUL 2009
  3. Manuscript Revised: 4 JUN 2009
  4. Manuscript Accepted: 4 JUN 2009
  5. Manuscript Received: 28 JAN 2009

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Keywords:

  • right-wing-authoritarianism;
  • social conformity;
  • personal need for structure;
  • openness to experience

Abstract

Several personality constructs have been theorised to underlie right-wing authoritarianism (RWA). In samples from New Zealand and Germany (Ns = 218, 259), we tested whether these constructs can account for specific variance in RWA. In both samples, social conformity and personal need for structure were independent predictors of RWA. In Sample 2, where also openness to experience was measured, social conformity and personal need for structure fully mediated the impact of the higher-order factor of openness on RWA. Our results contribute to the integration of current approaches to the personality basis of authoritarianism and suggest that two distinct personality processes contribute to RWA: An interpersonal process related to social conformity and an intrapersonal process related to rigid cognitive style. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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