Rightwing authoritarians score significantly lower on environmental concern measures.

Evidence

Schultz and Stone (1994) found rightwing authoritarians tended not to be “tree-huggers,” at least as measured by the twelve-item New Environmental Paradigm Scale (Dunlap and van Liere, 1978). The r among 87 students at the University of Maine equaled —.54. Peterson, Doty, and Winter (1993) in turn found positive RWA correlations among 278 Michigan students with seven statements belittling the environmental movement, but nothing significant with six others. (Three of the “‘noshows” involved punishing polluters, a case where Highs’ apparent dislike for the environmental movement could be offset by their general punitiveness.) — Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarian Specter, 560

Categorization

• QUESTION: The parenthetical suggests authoritarians’ punitiveness can offset environmental dislike on punishment-related items — worth chasing whether this reveals a motivating logic beyond mere non-tree-hugging.