Ethnocentrism,Authoritarianism and Conservatism among Two South African Student Samples: A Two-Year Follow-Up Study

Abstract

Measurements of ethnocentrism (E-scale), authoritarianism (the 29 item F-scale of Adorno, Frenkel-Brunswik, Levinson & Sanford) and conservatism (Wilson & Patterson's C-scale) were obtained on groups of English (N = 29) and Afrikaans (N = 23) speaking students during 1975 and 1977. Significantly lower F and E scores for the Afrikaans-speaking subjects and C, F and E scores for the English-speaking subjects were found at the end of the two-year period. While the scores for Afrikaans-speaking subjects became more variable, those of English-speaking subjects became more homogeneous. Despite these changes, the Afrikaans-speaking subjects remained the more conservative, authoritarian and ethnocentric group.