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How Right Are You?

Sov

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Please indicate your reaction to each statement according to the following scale:

-4 if you very strongly disagree with the statement.
-3 if you strongly disagree with the statement.
-2 if you moderately disagree with the statement.
-1 if you slightly disagree with the statement.
+1 if you slightly agree with the statement.
+2 if you moderately agree with the statement.
+3 if you strongly agree with the statement.
+4 if you very strongly agree with the statement.

If you feel exactly and precisely neutral about an item, put a “0."

Important: You may find that you sometimes have different reactions to different parts of a statement. For example, you might very strongly disagree (“-4") with one idea in a statement, but slightly agree (“+1") with another idea in the same item. When this happens, please combine your reactions, and type how you feel on balance (a “-3" in this case)

___ 1. The established authorities generally turn out to be right about things, while the radicals and protestors are usually just “loud mouths” showing off their ignorance.
___ 2. Women should have to promise to obey their husbands when they get married.
___ 3. Our country desperately needs a mighty leader who will do what has to be done to destroy the radical new ways and sinfulness that are ruining us.
___ 4. Gays and lesbians are just as healthy and moral as anybody else.
___ 5. It is always better to trust the judgment of the proper authorities in government and religion than to listen to the noisy rabble-rousers in our society who are trying to create doubt in people’s minds
___ 6. Atheists and others who have rebelled against the established religions are no doubt every bit as good and virtuous as those who attend church regularly.
___ 7. The only way our country can get through the crisis ahead is to get back to our traditional values, put some tough leaders in power, and silence the troublemakers spreading bad ideas.
___ 8. There is absolutely nothing wrong with nudist camps.
___ 9. Our country needs free thinkers who have the courage to defy traditional ways, even if this upsets many people.
___ 10. Our country will be destroyed someday if we do not smash the perversions eating away at our moral fiber and traditional beliefs.
___ 11. Everyone should have their own lifestyle, religious beliefs, and sexual preferences, even if it makes them different from everyone else.
___ 12. The “old-fashioned ways” and the “old-fashioned values” still show the best way to live.
___ 13. You have to admire those who challenged the law and the majority’s view by protesting for women’s abortion rights, for animal rights, or to abolish school prayer.
___ 14. What our country really needs is a strong, determined leader who will crush evil, and take us back to our true path.
___ 15. Some of the best people in our country are those who are challenging our government, criticizing religion, and ignoring the “normal way things are supposed to be done.”
___ 16. God’s laws about abortion, pornography and marriage must be strictly followed before it is too late, and those who break them must be strongly punished.
___ 17. There are many radical, immoral people in our country today, who are trying to ruin it for their own godless purposes, whom the authorities should put out of action.
___ 18. A “woman’s place” should be wherever she wants to be. The days when women are submissive to their husbands and social conventions belong strictly in the past.
___ 19. Our country will be great if we honor the ways of our forefathers, do what the authorities tell us to do, and get rid of the “rotten apples” who are ruining everything.
___ 20. There is no “ONE right way” to live life; everybody has to create their own way.
___ 21. Homosexuals and feminists should be praised for being brave enough to defy traditional family values.
___ 22. This country would work a lot better if certain groups of troublemakers would just shut up and accept their group’s traditional place in society.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
 
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I'm clearly going to be extreme... something. Hmm, I'll calculate the scores later. Hopefully others will participate in the meantime. :cool:
-4 1. The established authorities generally turn out to be right about things, while the radicals and protestors are usually just “loud mouths” showing off their ignorance.
-4 2. Women should have to promise to obey their husbands when they get married.
-4 3. Our country desperately needs a mighty leader who will do what has to be done to destroy the radical new ways and sinfulness that are ruining us.
+4 4. Gays and lesbians are just as healthy and moral as anybody else.
-4 5. It is always better to trust the judgment of the proper authorities in government and religion than to listen to the noisy rabble-rousers in our society who are trying to create doubt in people’s minds
+4 6. Atheists and others who have rebelled against the established religions are no doubt every bit as good and virtuous as those who attend church regularly.
-4 7. The only way our country can get through the crisis ahead is to get back to our traditional values, put some tough leaders in power, and silence the troublemakers spreading bad ideas.
+4 8. There is absolutely nothing wrong with nudist camps.
+4 9. Our country needs free thinkers who have the courage to defy traditional ways, even if this upsets many people.
-4 10. Our country will be destroyed someday if we do not smash the perversions eating away at our moral fiber and traditional beliefs.
+4 11. Everyone should have their own lifestyle, religious beliefs, and sexual preferences, even if it makes them different from everyone else.
-4 12. The “old-fashioned ways” and the “old-fashioned values” still show the best way to live.
+4 13. You have to admire those who challenged the law and the majority’s view by protesting for women’s abortion rights, for animal rights, or to abolish school prayer.
-4 14. What our country really needs is a strong, determined leader who will crush evil, and take us back to our true path.
+4 15. Some of the best people in our country are those who are challenging our government, criticizing religion, and ignoring the “normal way things are supposed to be done.”
-4 16. God’s laws about abortion, pornography and marriage must be strictly followed before it is too late, and those who break them must be strongly punished.
-4 17. There are many radical, immoral people in our country today, who are trying to ruin it for their own godless purposes, whom the authorities should put out of action.
+4 18. A “woman’s place” should be wherever she wants to be. The days when women are submissive to their husbands and social conventions belong strictly in the past.
-4 19. Our country will be great if we honor the ways of our forefathers, do what the authorities tell us to do, and get rid of the “rotten apples” who are ruining everything.
+4 20. There is no “ONE right way” to live life; everybody has to create their own way.
+4 21. Homosexuals and feminists should be praised for being brave enough to defy traditional family values.
-4 22. This country would work a lot better if certain groups of troublemakers would just shut up and accept their group’s traditional place in society.
 
1. +2
2. -4
3. -3
4. +3
5. -2
6. +2
7. -2
8. +2
9. +4
10. -3
11. +4
12. -3
13. +3
14. +1
15. +4
16. -3
17. +1
18. +4
19. -2
20. +4
21. +2
22. -3

=11
 
1. +2
2. -4
3. -3
4. +3
5. -2
6. +2
7. -2
8. +2
9. +4
10. -3
11. +4
12. -3
13. +3
14. +1
15. +4
16. -3
17. +1
18. +4
19. -2
20. +4
21. +2
22. -3

=11
Thanks for answering, you provided all the needed info. The test itself was designed by a Canadian researcher and uses a different scoring methodology. Soon I'll post scores and about how scores are calculated.
 
1. +0
2. -4
3. +3
4. +2
5. -3
6. +0
7. +3
8. -1
9. +4
10. +4
11. -4
12. -3
13. +3
14. +4
15. +2
16. 0
17. +4
18. +4
19. +3
20. -2
21. -4
22. -3

A lot of tough questions on here, mostly because the test seems to confuse "strong" and "righteous" with "old". To be fair, I suppose that's typical for the classic right wing-- but too many of the questions conflate the two concepts to be truly useful gauge of anything.
 
It just does back to what I've said, that there's too many definitions about what right wing means
 
-4 1. The established authorities generally turn out to be right about things, while the radicals and protestors are usually just “loud mouths” showing off their ignorance.
-4 2. Women should have to promise to obey their husbands when they get married.
-4 3. Our country desperately needs a mighty leader who will do what has to be done to destroy the radical new ways and sinfulness that are ruining us.
+4 4. Gays and lesbians are just as healthy and moral as anybody else.
-4 5. It is always better to trust the judgment of the proper authorities in government and religion than to listen to the noisy rabble-rousers in our society who are trying to create doubt in people’s minds
+4 6. Atheists and others who have rebelled against the established religions are no doubt every bit as good and virtuous as those who attend church regularly.
-4 7. The only way our country can get through the crisis ahead is to get back to our traditional values, put some tough leaders in power, and silence the troublemakers spreading bad ideas.
+2 8. There is absolutely nothing wrong with nudist camps.
+2 9. Our country needs free thinkers who have the courage to defy traditional ways, even if this upsets many people.
-4 10. Our country will be destroyed someday if we do not smash the perversions eating away at our moral fiber and traditional beliefs.
+4 11. Everyone should have their own lifestyle, religious beliefs, and sexual preferences, even if it makes them different from everyone else.
-4 12. The “old-fashioned ways” and the “old-fashioned values” still show the best way to live.
+4 13. You have to admire those who challenged the law and the majority’s view by protesting for women’s abortion rights, for animal rights, or to abolish school prayer.
-4 14. What our country really needs is a strong, determined leader who will crush evil, and take us back to our true path.
+4 15. Some of the best people in our country are those who are challenging our government, criticizing religion, and ignoring the “normal way things are supposed to be done.”
-4 16. God’s laws about abortion, pornography and marriage must be strictly followed before it is too late, and those who break them must be strongly punished.
-4 17. There are many radical, immoral people in our country today, who are trying to ruin it for their own godless purposes, whom the authorities should put out of action.
+4 18. A “woman’s place” should be wherever she wants to be. The days when women are submissive to their husbands and social conventions belong strictly in the past.
-4 19. Our country will be great if we honor the ways of our forefathers, do what the authorities tell us to do, and get rid of the “rotten apples” who are ruining everything.
+4 20. There is no “ONE right way” to live life; everybody has to create their own way.
0 21. Homosexuals and feminists should be praised for being brave enough to defy traditional family values.
-4 22. This country would work a lot better if certain groups of troublemakers would just shut up and accept their group’s traditional place in society.

Total of -16
 
Total of -16

Total's no good. Some of the questions are positive-right and some are negative-right. If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say that a perfect wingnut-- of either persuasion-- would score a zero.
 
This is actually the RWA Scale by Bob Altemeyer, a Canadian personality psychologist. He touts it as a measure of "right-wing authoritarianism." I scored the lowest score possible, which is 20. The highest is 180. The general idea is higher the score, the more right you are -- right wing authoritarian, that is. He does say in The Authoritarians (link to chapter 1 of the book below, which includes the test and scoring method) that personal scores should be treated with a grain of salt. However, I did answer honestly. So by his scale I'm a radical anti-authoritarian. The "right" direction in the test struck me as like pointing toward some retarded bucktoothed stereotype; I wasn't able to honestly move in that direction even a little as I gave my answers. For the most part the RWA construct indicated in this test is not quite what I mean when I use "right wing authoritarian" as a descriptor in my posts and writings elsewhere, I'll tell you that (though there is definitely plenty of overlap)! I'll put my criticisms of the Altemeyer's tests/constructs/etc aside for the time being; like many of those online political tests, the RWA Scale is good for some fun. Anyway, Dr. Bob (as Altemeyer's students call him, bit of authoritarian hero worship there? ;)) actually describes RWA as a personality trait. There's much more at these links for those interested.

http://members.shaw.ca/jeanaltemeyer/drbob/chapter1.pdf

The Authoritarians

The final score can't be calculated straight from the numerical answers you give. Here's the method.


First, you can skip your answers to the first two statements. They don’t count. I put those items on the test to give people some experience with the -4 to +4 response system. They’re just “warmups."

Start therefore with No. 3.

If you wrote down a “-4” that’s scored as a 1.
If you wrote down a “-3" that’s scored as a 2.
If you wrote down a “-2" that’s scored as a 3.
If you wrote down a “-1" that’s scored as a 4.
If you wrote down a “0" or left the item unanswered, that’s scored as a 5.
If you wrote down a “+1" that’s scored as a 6.
If you wrote down a “+2" that’s scored as a 7.
If you wrote down a “+3" that’s scored as an 8.
If you wrote down a “+4" that’s scored as a 9.

Your answers to Items 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19 and 22 are scored the same way.

Now we’ll do the rest of your answers, starting with No. 4.

If you wrote down a “-4" that’s scored as a 9.
If you wrote down a “-3" that’s scored as an 8.
If you wrote down a “-2" that’s scored as a 7.
If you wrote down a “-1" that’s scored as a 6.
If you wrote down a “0" or left the item unanswered, that’s scored as a 5.
If you wrote down a “+1" that’s scored as a 4.
If you wrote down a “+2" that’s scored as a 3.
If you wrote down a “+3" that’s scored as a 2.
If you wrote down a “+4" that’s scored as a 1.

Now simply add up your twenty scores. The lowest total possible would be 20, and the highest, 180, but real scores are almost never that extreme. Introductory psychology students at my Canadian university average about 75. Their parents average about 90. Both scores are below the mid-point of the scale, which is 100, so most people in these groups are not authoritarian followers in absolute terms. Neither are most Americans, it seems. Mick McWilliams and Jeremy Keil administered the RWA scale to a reasonably representative sample of 1000 Americans in 2005 for the Libertarian Party and discovered an average score of 90.3, 4 Thus the Manitoba parent samples seem similar in overall authoritarianism to a representative American adult sample.5 My Manitoba students score about the same on the RWA scale as most American university students do too.​
 
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A lot of tough questions on here, mostly because the test seems to confuse "strong" and "righteous" with "old". To be fair, I suppose that's typical for the classic right wing-- but too many of the questions conflate the two concepts to be truly useful gauge of anything.
Hm, wonder how this guy would score...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f1BclfiZs0"]YouTube- I am Gunnery Sergeant Hartman (WS/HQ)[/ame]
 
106. Apparently, I'm some kind of centrist authoritarian.
 
My score comes out to 49. I'm not so good with absolutes, I found good points in a lot of the statements though I disagreed with the overall idea. The ones I particularly gained points on were #14 and #17, both more because of the vague wording than any authoritarian views I have. Strong leaders aren't necessarily bad, I'm not an anarchist after all.
 
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