Abstract

Aim of the present study is to explore the structure of ideological attitudes, and investigate the relationship among these attitudes, political orientation, and personality and cognitive-motivational variables. Three hundreds and twenty psycholgy students (F = 265 M = 55; age = 20.5) were administered a questionnaire including measures of Ideological Attitudes, Authoritarianism, Big Five, Locus of Control, Need for Cognitive Closure, political orientation and voting behaviour. Results show a bidimensional structure of Ideology. Progressivism negatively correlates with Extraversion and Authoritarianism, and positively with Openness to Experience and internal Locus of Control. Conservatism positively correlates with Consciousness, Authoritarianism, internal and external Locus of Control, and negatively with Openness to Experience. Need for Closure is higher in those who vote for right-wing parties, but Ideological dimensions mediate this relationship.