Definitions
Investigating Psychology by Nicola Brace and Jovan Byford
Chapter 1
1. introduction – pages 19-25
1.1 Approaches to personality
1.2 Personality and ‘authoritarianism’
Personality A person’s stable and enduring traits and
characteristics, which lead them to
behave in a steady way over time.
Fundamental attribution error The tendency to explain the causes of
other people’s behaviour as a product of
their internal characteristics and
dispositions rather than external
situational factors.
Individual differences Any characteristics that are susceptible
to variation between individuals; for
example, personality or intelligence.
Personality Theory A set of propositions about the structure
and/or development of personality that
forms the basis of a coherent, evidence-
based explanation.
Extraversion A personality type characterised by
outgoing and gregarious behaviour. It
forms an extraversion – introversion
continuum with introversion, at the
opposite pole, typified by reserved and
inward-looking behaviour.
Psychoanalysis A set of theories and therapeutic
methods exploring the unconscious
processes influencing human behaviour.
Authoritarian personality A kind of personality typified by
obedience to authority, strict adherence
to rules, and hostility towards anyone
different from oneself.
2. The authoritarian personality – pages 27-38
2.1 Measuring personalities
2.2 Interpreting the scales: composing an authoritarian personality
2.3 Explaining the causes of ‘authoritarianism
Anti-Semitism Prejudice and hostility towards Jews.
Fascism A political ideology or regime marked by
extreme nationalism and racism,
centralisation of authority and the
suppression of political opposition.
, Attitudes A person’s beliefs and feelings about
issues, events, objects or people, which
are thought to influence behaviour.
Scale A set of items such as questions on a
questionnaire which combine to measure
a bigger construct (e.g. a personality
characteristic) that cannot be measured
directly.
Ethnocentrism Belief in the superiority of one’s own
ethnic group or culture.
F-scale A measure of personality characteristics
underpinning potential for fascism.
Interview A ‘conversation with a purpose’, designed
to gather in-depth information from
research participants. Interviews may be
structured, asking the same questions of
all participants, or semi-structured,
allowing interviewers to adapt questions
according to participants’ responses.
Quantitative data Data that can be measured, counted, or
expressed in numerical terms, for
example, scores, ratings or percentages.
Qualitative data Data that is not in numerical form. There
are different kinds of qualitative data, for
instance interview material, written text
such as newspaper articles, or diaries.
3. Exercising caution: evaluating the ‘authoritarian personality’ study – pages 39-46
31. Focusing on method: the questionnaires
3.2 Focusing on method: the interviews
3.3 Authoritarianism as personality?
Acquiescence response bias A tendency to agree with statements
presented in scales, regardless of
content.
Confirmatory bias A tendency to pay most attention to those
features of a phenomenon that appear to
confirm prior expectations.
Double blind A research design where neither the
participants nor the investigator know
which group the participants belong to,
thus reducing the risk of bias in measures
and interpretations.
4. Revivals and revisions of the authoritarian personality – pages 47-51
4.1 Altemeyer and right-wing authoritarianism
Cognitive style The habitual way a person processes
information.
Investigating Psychology by Nicola Brace and Jovan Byford
Chapter 1
1. introduction – pages 19-25
1.1 Approaches to personality
1.2 Personality and ‘authoritarianism’
Personality A person’s stable and enduring traits and
characteristics, which lead them to
behave in a steady way over time.
Fundamental attribution error The tendency to explain the causes of
other people’s behaviour as a product of
their internal characteristics and
dispositions rather than external
situational factors.
Individual differences Any characteristics that are susceptible
to variation between individuals; for
example, personality or intelligence.
Personality Theory A set of propositions about the structure
and/or development of personality that
forms the basis of a coherent, evidence-
based explanation.
Extraversion A personality type characterised by
outgoing and gregarious behaviour. It
forms an extraversion – introversion
continuum with introversion, at the
opposite pole, typified by reserved and
inward-looking behaviour.
Psychoanalysis A set of theories and therapeutic
methods exploring the unconscious
processes influencing human behaviour.
Authoritarian personality A kind of personality typified by
obedience to authority, strict adherence
to rules, and hostility towards anyone
different from oneself.
2. The authoritarian personality – pages 27-38
2.1 Measuring personalities
2.2 Interpreting the scales: composing an authoritarian personality
2.3 Explaining the causes of ‘authoritarianism
Anti-Semitism Prejudice and hostility towards Jews.
Fascism A political ideology or regime marked by
extreme nationalism and racism,
centralisation of authority and the
suppression of political opposition.
, Attitudes A person’s beliefs and feelings about
issues, events, objects or people, which
are thought to influence behaviour.
Scale A set of items such as questions on a
questionnaire which combine to measure
a bigger construct (e.g. a personality
characteristic) that cannot be measured
directly.
Ethnocentrism Belief in the superiority of one’s own
ethnic group or culture.
F-scale A measure of personality characteristics
underpinning potential for fascism.
Interview A ‘conversation with a purpose’, designed
to gather in-depth information from
research participants. Interviews may be
structured, asking the same questions of
all participants, or semi-structured,
allowing interviewers to adapt questions
according to participants’ responses.
Quantitative data Data that can be measured, counted, or
expressed in numerical terms, for
example, scores, ratings or percentages.
Qualitative data Data that is not in numerical form. There
are different kinds of qualitative data, for
instance interview material, written text
such as newspaper articles, or diaries.
3. Exercising caution: evaluating the ‘authoritarian personality’ study – pages 39-46
31. Focusing on method: the questionnaires
3.2 Focusing on method: the interviews
3.3 Authoritarianism as personality?
Acquiescence response bias A tendency to agree with statements
presented in scales, regardless of
content.
Confirmatory bias A tendency to pay most attention to those
features of a phenomenon that appear to
confirm prior expectations.
Double blind A research design where neither the
participants nor the investigator know
which group the participants belong to,
thus reducing the risk of bias in measures
and interpretations.
4. Revivals and revisions of the authoritarian personality – pages 47-51
4.1 Altemeyer and right-wing authoritarianism
Cognitive style The habitual way a person processes
information.
