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Interpersonally aversive, antagonistic, or "dark" traits have been the focal point of research for decades. In more recent personality research, affiliative, prosocial, or "light" traits have become an area of emerging interest. Examining both domains may allow for a more comprehensive perspective to understanding behaviors and social attitudes involved in human nature related to social dominance and authoritarianism. The purpose of this study was to explore the associations among aversive versus affiliative personality traits with social dominance orientation (SDO) and right-wing authoritarianism (RWA). Both SDO and RWA are robustly tied to prejudice and discrimination, as well as other negative interpersonal characteristics. In this way, the current study will help address if expression of SDO and RWA are primarily linked with presence of a negative (aversive traits) or more so with the absence of a positive (affiliative traits) The current study involved a large general population sample of males who were assessed with Self-Report Psychopathy Scale-Short Form (SRP-SF), subscales from the Short Dark Tetrad (SD4), and the Light Triad Scale (LTS), along with variables tapping the multifaceted domains involved in SDO and RWA. In addition to a series of multiple regression analyses, an exploratory structural equation model (ESEM) was tested to uncover the structure and predictive value of aversive and affiliative traits. The findings of this study may help to further understand individual differences in aversive and affiliative dispositions and their link to critical external correlates.

Recent social unrest has highlighted differences in how crime is perceived based upon the race of the perpetrator. Decades of research suggests criminality is more easily associated with racial and ethnic minorities leading to the racialization of crime. Mutz (1994) noted there are personal factors as well as impersonal factors influencing views regarding race and crime. Research suggests the strongest impersonal influence on society’s perception is the media (Gilliam et al., 2002; Umair, 2016). Therefore, the narrative of linking race and crime, which is prevalent in news media, is reinforced every time viewers tune in to their local news. Additionally, personal factors such as values, personality, the area in which one resides, and political beliefs influence one’s acceptance of the racialized crime narrative (Gilliam, Valentino, & Beckmann, 2002). Thus, the primary aim of the current study was two-fold: ( a) to examine differences in the saliency racial bias regarding who commits crime in rural and non-rural areas and (b) to examine if the presence racially stereotypical name within a crime vignette elicits prejudicial beliefs when compared to a non-descript crime vignette. Results were inconsistent with expected findings. Specifically, neither geographic location nor vignette type significantly influenced participant’s racial bias regarding crime, punitive judgments, or sentencing recommendations. Additionally, Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) and Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) are associated with racially prejudicial beliefs and influence views on who commits crime (e.g., Crawford, Jussim, Cain, & Cohen, 2014). Therefore, the second aim of the study was to examine the association between sociopolitical constructs, as measured by SDO and RWA, and punitive judgments and sentencing recommendations. Results revealed punitive judgments were positively related to both SDO (r = .194, p < .05) and RWA (r = .246, p < .01). Similar findings revealed a significant association between racial bias and SDO (r = -.222, p < .05) and RWA (r = -.132, p < .01), respectively. Surprisingly, length of sentencing recommendations failed to significantly correlate with either SDO (r = -.033, p > .05) or RWA (r = .024, p > .05). These findings support current literature noting multiple factors contributing to racially prejudicial ideas about racial minorities. Thus, interventions to reduce racial bias, and subsequent discrimination, must target various factors. Research suggests that inter-group contact may be beneficial in reducing the saliency of these beliefs (Allport, 1954; Pettigrew, 1998).

Climate change is an urgent situation that may be alleviated by a dramatic transformation in individual’s lifestyles. Right-wing authoritarianism relates to a wide variety of beliefs and behaviors, yet little is known about its relationship with environmental beliefs and behaviors. An online survey utilizing the 18-item ACT scale, the revised NEP scale, the PEB scale, and background questions as conducted; 60 college students enrolled in introductory sociology courses responded. Multiple regression and backwards stepwise statistical methods were employed on the survey data to investigate the relationship between right-wing authoritarianism and pro-environmental beliefs and the relationship between right-wing authoritarianism and pro-environmental behaviors. Results indicate that right-wing authoritarianism and traditionalism are significantly negatively related to pro-environmental beliefs, and right-wing authoritarianism, authoritarianism, conservatism, and traditionalism are all significantly negatively related to pro-environmental behaviors. These findings will inform the researcher’s hypotheses in a replicated study utilizing a larger sample size.

It is well established that people like familiarity over novelty. Because that which is most familiar is frequently indicative of the way things are, favoring familiarity should create a psychological advantage for the status quo. In two studies, I tested the hypothesis that familiarity bias—susceptibility to the mere-exposure effect whereby attitude objects receive increasingly favorable evaluations due to repeated sensory experience—is foundational to ideological support for the status quo. In Study 1, individual variation in familiarity bias predicted greater Right-Wing Authoritarianism. Existential threat was experimentally manipulated via the salience of international terrorism in Study 2, but was unsuccessful due to a major terrorist attack against Brussels, Belgium during data collection. The present research offers mixed support for a link between familiarity bias and ideological support for the status quo. Further tests are necessary to determine if and how susceptibility to the mere-exposure effect is related to and right-wing ideology and motivations to manage threat and uncertainty.

This study introduces narcissistic entitlement as a correlate of homonegative attitudes and behaviors and examines the relative strength of relations along with established correlates of right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), social dominance orientation (SDO), conformity with masculine norms, and intrinsic religious orientation. It also tests the role of negative attitudes towards lesbian women and gay men (ATLG) in mediating the relationship between the predictor variables and gay- and lesbian-rejecting and affirming behaviors. Implications for what these findings may offer psychologists are discussed, as are ways findings may inform the political process. Earlier studies support the link between entitlement and homonegativity (Exline, et al., 2004). Narcissism was positively related to dominance, neuroticism, social anxiety, and more aggressive/sadistic and rebellious/distrustful interpersonal styles (Emmons, 1984). Entitled narcissists are quick to take offense (McCullough, et al., 2003), externalize blame (Campbell, et al., 2000), and derogate or attack those who provide ego-threatening feedback or social rejection (Bushman, et al., 2003; Konrath, et al., 2006). Entitlement increases the risk of the narcissist becoming prone to hostile and reactive aggression and extreme violence, even without an ego-threat (Bushman, et al., 2003; Reidy, et al., 2008). Participants were recruited through the Department of Educational Psychology subject pool and data was collected by online survey. Given the focus on heterosexual men's attitudes toward lesbian women and gay men, participants were excluded from analysis if they identified as female, bisexual, or homosexual. Results indicated that entitlement, RWA, and intrinsic religiosity, but not conformity to masculine norms or SDO, were related uniquely to ATLG. ATLG was also related uniquely with measures of behavior, positively to gay- and lesbian-rejecting behaviors, and negatively with gay- and lesbian-affirming behaviors. ATLG was found to significantly mediate the links of entitlement and RWA with lesbian- and gay-rejecting behaviors. Results also indicated that the indirect link of intrinsic religious orientation with lesbian- and gay-rejecting behaviors was significant. Additionally, ATLG significantly mediated the links of entitlement with lesbian- and gay-affirming behaviors. Such an examination advances research and practice by identifying unique correlates of homonegative attitudes and the mechanisms through which they are related to lesbian- and gay-rejecting and -affirming behaviors.

The present study explores several predictors of antigay aggression: right-wing authoritarianism, sexual prejudice, and the three dimensions of male role norms, status, toughness and anti-femininity. Status-oriented and anti-feminine men engage in authoritarian thinking (Wilkinson, 2004), and use prejudice and aggression to express group norms (Herek, 1986). Results showed a significant indirect effect of status (B=.09, SE=.04, p=.02) and anti-femininity (B=.08, SE=.04, p=.04) on aggression via authoritarianism. An exploratory model with authoritarianism moderating the effect of prejudice on aggression showed that prejudice significantly influences aggression for low levels of right-wing authoritarianism. These findings indicate that authoritarians will aggress regardless of their sexual prejudice. This is consistent with the characterization of authoritarians as “equal opportunity bigots” (Altemeyer, 2006, p. 24)" that will aggress toward any out-group.