An Authoritarian Dilemna

Have you ever run across a bit of writing that encapsulates something you've believed for a long time? Last week, while doing some research on parenting styles, I ran across the 'authoritarian personality'. It was from research done by Theodor Adorno and proposed as a personality disorder to go along with the other eight existing disorders. The summary I read included this:

"A major determing factor in the formation of the authoritarian personality was found to be a pattern of strict and rigid parenting, in which obedience is instilled through physical punishment and harsh verbal discipline.

...People with this personality structure discharge the hostility accumulated by their harsh upbringing against those whom they perceive to be of lower status by forming negative stereotypes of them and discriminating against or overtly persecuting them. It is also thought that they may be projecting their own weaknesses and fears onto the groups they denigrate as inferior. Other traits associated with this personality type include dependence on authority and rigid rules, conformity to group values, admiration of powerful figures, compulsiveness, concreteness, and intolerance of ambiguity."

A personality disorder results in misery for the one with the disorder, for those around him or her, and even potential harm to others, making it worthy of use to bar such people from positions where they could misuse or abuse power based on the pathology.

Other research (see Baumrind, 'parenting styles') determined that such people produce children who have lower levels of esteem, lower social skills, lower academic achievement, and less individuality. One bit of research stated that people with authoritarian personality tend to perceive enemies around them.

I've been trying to say this stuff for years. It's woven into all my critiques of the Bush administration.

The punch line: Adorno's research is nothing new. It was published in 1950. It has been replicated numerous times and found to be accurate. It has been refined. Yet the personality disorder was never included with the others and this information isn't used to screen unhealthy types in business (where personality tests are used for screening every day), the military (where apparently screening is only done on those at the bottom ranks), government (where the public trust gives one authority and tools that are easily abused), or religion (ditto).

If you will read Baumrind, by the way, there is a difference between authoritarian and authoritative. See her works.

The perception of enemies (Bush last week in Israel: "We are engaged in an ancient battle between good and evil"), having the world's largest and most sophisticated military under one's command, the continual exposure of top-level CEO's and front-line religious leaders abusing people, and so forth make for a good argument to revisit whether we should include this personality disorder as a legitimate diagnosis. It would put a lot of people out of a job -- including psychologists who are like this, since this field attracts those with unhealthy dynamics looking for a defense against the world -- but isn't that what we want?