Rigid cognitive style drives authoritarianism but not prejudice directly

Evidence

However, it is wrong to assume that simple cognitive style leads directly to support for fascism, for the Holocaust, or even for any kind of oppressive at­ titude (Suedfeld, 1992). Depending on the circumstances, either simple or complex thinking can lead to decisions that are optimal, appropriate, and moral—or the opposite. For example, in pre–Civil War debates on slavery, both Southern sympathizers and radical abolitionists showed less complex thinking than did the advocates of gradual emancipation (Tetlock, Armor, & Peterson, 1994); and, among people with somewhat prejudicial attitudes, higher need for cognition is associated with the perception that acts of racial discrimination by others are rational and justified (Khan & Lambert, 2001). — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide, 471

Adorno et al. placed greater emphasis on punitive early socialization, inner conflict, and defense. For Adorno et al. it was the young child’s repression of anger towards punitive parental authority, identification with this authority, and consequent displacement of this hostility outward that accounted for the authoritarian’s generalized prejudice. … The main difference was that Allport’s authoritarian traits included two that described restricted, limited cognitive styles – dichotomization (tendency to categorize the world into rigid, simplistic dichotomies) and a need for definiteness, structure, and intolerance of ambiguity – that did not have direct parallels in Adorno et al.’s list. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 2438

Categorization

• XREF: Ties to integrative complexity research by Suedfeld and Tetlock; also the Authoritarian Personality chapters 68-71 of this same book. — connects to: Rigid distant fathers and self-sacrificing mothers raise children prone to authoritarian personality — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide: The Social…, 443; Authoritarian thinking features closed-mindedness, rigidity, and intolerance of ambiguity — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide: The Social…, 469; Authoritarian personality traits alone do not produce prejudice without activating demagogy — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice: Fifty Years…, 2433 (+3 more)
• corroborated: 6 independent passages support this claim — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide: The Social…, 471; , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 2438

Broader Connections

• Authoritarians reason in isolated compartments without perspective-taking #expands (0.85) — Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarian Specter, 1569
• Authoritarian personality traits alone do not produce prejudice without activating demagogy #qualifies (0.80) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 2433
• Cognitive style and political ideology mutually shape each other #complicates (0.75) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 2339
• Fearfulness and threat orientation, not repressed aggression, drive authoritarianism #complicates (0.75) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 2487