Robert Anthony Altemeyer (6 June 1940 – 7 February 2024) was a Canadian psychologist who was Professor of Psychology at the University of Manitoba.[ "University of Manitoba directory, Psychology Faculty" .][ as well as the related left-wing authoritarianism scale, or LWA Scale.]
Altemeyer first defined the right-wing authoritarian personality in 1981,[Adorno, T. W., Frenkel-Brunswik, E., Levinson, D. J., Sanford, R. N. (1950). The Authoritarian Personality. New York: Harper and Row.] Altemeyer defined the right-wing authoritarian personality as someone who:
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is naturally submissive to authority figures that they consider to be legitimate,
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acts aggressively in the name of said authority figures, and/or
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is very conventional (i.e. conformist) in thought and behavior.
Altemeyer performed extensive research on authoritarianism, identifying the psychological makeup of authoritarian followers, and authoritarian leaders. His studies concentrated on who the followers are, how they got that way, how they think, and why they tend to be submissive and aggressive. He also collected data on authoritarianism among North American politicians.
Altemeyer documented his research in several books, most recently for general audiences in The Authoritarians, written at the suggestion of John W. Dean.[Altemeyer (2006)][ "Website for the book: Bob Altemeyer's - The Authoritarians".] Altemeyer's work is referenced in Dean's 2006 book, Conservatives Without Conscience.[ "The Hard Right" (30 July 2006). Review of Conservatives without conscience by Nick Gillespie. The New York Times.][Dean, John W. Conservatives Without Conscience (2006). Viking. New York. .] Altemeyer's last book, Authoritarian Nightmare, co-written by Dean,[(2020) Melville Publishing House, Brooklyn, NY. ] is a book about U.S. President Donald Trump and his authoritarian followers.
Personal life and death
His son, Rob Altemeyer, was an NDP MLA in the Manitoba Legislature from 2003 to 2019.[ "Today's NDP: Rob Altemeyer, your MLA for Wolseley" .]
Altemeyer died on 7 February 2024, at the age of 83.
Awards
Altemeyer was awarded the American Association for the Advancement of Science Prize for Behavioral Science Research in 1986.[ "AAAS History & Archives: Prize for Behavioral Science Research, Bob Altemeyer (1986)".]
Books
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and several subsequent postscripts: Comment on the 2008 election,
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External links
