Threat as a factor in authoritarianism: An analysis of archival data
Abstract
Many investigators have proposed that threat is a basic cause of authoritarianism. This perspective suggests the hypothesis that increased threat should evoke increased authoritarianism. To test this prediction, various archival data from 2 threatening historical periods (the 1930's and 1967-1970) and 2 nonthreatening periods (the 1920's and 1959-1964) were examined to determine whether authoritarianism did increase in response to threat. Data indicate that environmental threat was reliably associated with changed behavior in most areas of the Results are consistent with the hypothesis that threat is a cause of authoritarianism and added validity to the concept of an authoritarian syndrome. (45 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)
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The finding that the threat of famine predicts authoritarian governance in small-scale societies is convergent with psychological research showing that individual-level authoritarianism is generally higher during times of resource scarcity.
“The finding that the threat of famine predicts authoritarian governance in small-scale societies is also convergent with psychological research showing that individual-level authoritarianism is generally higher during times of resource scarcity [42], [49].”
From Pathogens and Politics: Further Evidence That Parasite Prevalence Predicts Authoritarianism (2013) · cites this paper as [42]
The results suggest that the prevalence of a disease-irrelevant threat-famine-may also uniquely encourage authoritarian political governance, consistent with past research linking other threats to authoritarianism.
“These results also suggest that the prevalence of a disease-irrelevant threat—famine—may also uniquely encourage authoritarian political governance, which is consistent with past research that links other threats to authoritarianism [41], [42].”
From Pathogens and Politics: Further Evidence That Parasite Prevalence Predicts Authoritarianism (2013) · cites this paper as [42]
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- Authors
- Sales, S. M.
- Corresponding author
- Sales, Stephen M.
- Venue
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Published
- 1973
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 44-57
- ISSN
- 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1315
- OpenAlex
- W2008707618
- Cited by
- 360
- References
- 20
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 13 · 2012: 27
- FWCI
- 8.22
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Psychology of Social Influence
- Keywords
- authoritarianism, threats, environmental hazards, authoritarian behavior, 1930s, 1920s, archival data
- MeSH terms
- Aggression, Attitude, Attitude to Health, Authoritarianism, Behavior, Caricatures as Topic, Fantasy, Female, Humans, Jurisprudence, Legislation as Topic, Male, Morals, Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Publishing, Punishment, Religion and Psychology, Sexual Behavior, Sex Offenses, Social Conditions, Social Conformity, Social Environment, Superstitions, United States
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