Date of Award
2015
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Social Sciences
First Advisor
Reilly, Jack
Keywords
9/11, Authoritarianism, Political Science
Area of Concentration
Political Science
Abstract
The Authoritarian Personality (TAP) by Adorno et al., published in 1950, remains a pivotal piece of research in political science. TAP marked the beginning of a new direction in studying discrimination, ethnocentrism, authoritarianism and the effects of personality on political decisions. This thesis examines the effect that threat has on the manifestation of authoritarian traits. I further the existing literature on threat and authoritarianism by focusing on the effects of terrorism threat. In order to study the effect of terrorism threat on authoritarian behavior I review authoritarian behavior over time while concentrating on the periods before and after the September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. The study shows that 9/11 impacted the rates of authoritarian behavior. The study has also provided support for existing theories that increases in threat lead to increases in authoritarian behavior.
Recommended Citation
Gaden, Danielle, "THE AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY, 9/11 AND RESPONSES TO THREAT: A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS" (2015). Theses & ETDs. 5027.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/5027