Date of Award
Spring 8-2018
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department/Program
Forensic Psychology
Language
English
First Advisor or Mentor
Shuki Cohen
Second Reader
Edward Kagen
Third Advisor
Philip Yanos
Abstract
This thesis examined the relationship between Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) and Militarism among millennial students at John Jay College. Previous studies have already suggested a relationship between RWA, heightened perceived individual or communal threat, and aggressive attitudes – especially towards outsiders. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to gauge the level of authoritarianism and that was endorsed by each subject and these RWA factor scores were contrasted between participants who endorsed Militarism as a viable U.S. foreign policy tactic and those who did not. Consistent with our hypothesis, results suggest that individuals who supported militarism as a viable means to solving international conflicts also scored higher on RWA. However, our results point out a divergence from the core construct of authoritarianism, where by its relevance as a form of governance (which was estimated in this study) may be unrelated to endorsement of conservative values concerning sex, religion and other personal freedoms. The implications for the drivers underlying support of U.S. military interventions worldwide among millennials are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Nemet, Jessica A., "The Relationship Between Right-Wing Authoritarianism & Support for Military Action Among Millennial Voters" (2018). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/jj_etds/56