The relationship between right-wing authoritarianism and attitudes toward violence: Further validation of the Attitudes Toward Violence Scale

In this study the relationship is examined between attitudes toward violence and right-wing authoritarianism. One hundred and fifty participants completed the Attitudes Toward Violence Scale (ATVS; Anderson, Benjamin, Wood, and Bonacci, 2006) and the Right Wing Authoritarianism Scale (RWA; Altemeyer, 1996). Three of the ATVS subscales (war, penal code violence, and corporal punishment) correlated significantly with the RWA. The findings suggest that the ATVS is linked to authoritarianism and that its subscales tap into attitudes regarding authoritarian aggression.