Personality and individual difference correlates of attitudes toward human rights and civil liberties

Viren Swami*, Ingo W. Nader, Jakob Pietschnig, Stefan Stieger, Ulrich S. Tran, Martin Voracek

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal article (peer-reviewed)Journal article

43 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study examined associations between attitudes toward human rights and civil liberties (HR-CL) and a range of ideological, personality, and individual difference traits. A total of 474 German-speaking participants completed measures of attitudes toward HR-CL, right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), Big Five personality traits, conspiracist ideation, and political cynicism. Preliminary analyses showed no significant sex differences on attitudes toward HR-CL. When these predictors were entered into a multiple regression, the only significant predictors were RWA, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness and Openness-Intellect. Further analyses showed that the relationship between Openness-Intellect and attitudes toward HR-CL was mediated by RWA. These results are discussed in relation to intervention programmes aimed at promoting more egalitarian HR-CL attitudes.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)443-447
Number of pages5
JournalPersonality and Individual Differences
Volume53
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2012
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Big Five
  • Civil liberties
  • Human rights
  • Right-wing authoritarianism

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Psychology

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