Establishing predictors of latitude of acceptance‐rejection and attitudinal intensity: A comparison of assumptions of social judgment and authoritarian personality theories

Abstract

Differing assumptions from Social Judgment Theory on the authoritarian personality concerning latitudes of acceptance‐rejection and prime attitudes were tested. Factor analyses indicated that people exhibit regularities in width of latitudes and prime attitudinal position across topics and sources. Dogmatism was not a particularly useful predictor and again demonstrated a leftist bias. Liberalism‐Conservatism predicted attitudinal position but was not a predictor of latitude width in most cases. Results are discussed in terms of problems with the Dogmatism instrument and extensions of Social Judgment Theory are urged.