Conservative orientation as a determinant of hopelessness

Author(s): Kwok, S. T.

Journal/Book: J Soc Psychol. 1996; 136: 1319 Eighteenth St NW, Washington, DC 20036-1802. Heldref Publications. 333-347.

Abstract: Conservative orientation is identified with reference to authoritarianism, work ethic belief, just world belief, and endorsement of individualistic causes of social problems. This overarching orientation is hypothesized to affect hopelessness and to be affected by self-esteem with reference to ego development theory and learned helplessness theory. Causal modeling of data obtained from 1st-year college students (N = 556) in Hong Kong supports the hypotheses, showing that a student's hopelessness relates to his or her conservative orientation, even when self-esteem is controlled. This relationship can be interpreted by ego development and learned helplessness theories and cannot be explained as a spurious effect. Through the theories, hopelessness is interpreted as a result of maladaptive development and fatalistic, alienated, and helpless outlooks. This maladaptive development and the outlooks in turn result from students' conservative and individualistic orientation.

Note: Article CK Cheung, Chinese Univ Hong Kong, Prince Wales Hosp, Ctr Clin Trials & Epidemiol Res, Shatin, Hong Kong

Keyword(s): RIGHT-WING AUTHORITARIANISM; TAIWANESE COLLEGE-STUDENTS; WORLD BELIEFS; SELF-ESTEEM; CAUSAL ATTRIBUTIONS; DEPRESSION; EDUCATION; ATTITUDES; ADOLESCENTS; PERCEPTIONS

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