The relationship between authoritarianism and life satisfaction changes depending on stigmatized status

M.J. Brandt, PJ Henry, Geoffrey Wetherell

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Members of stigmatized social groups are typically more authoritarian than their nonstigmatized or higher status counterparts. We draw on research demonstrating that authoritarianism compensates for the negative effects of stigma to predict that this endorsement will be more psychologically beneficial (and less harmful) for the stigmatized compared to their high-status counterparts. Consistent with this idea, data from the 2008 (N = 2,322) and 2012 (N = 5,916) American National Election Study indicate that for members of stigmatized social groups (low income, low education, and ethnic minority), authoritarian child rearing values have more positive psychological effects than for members of high-status groups. These results were robust to covariates, including demographics, religiosity, political ideology, and cognitive style.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)219-228
JournalSocial Psychological and Personality Science
Volume6
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2015

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