Abstract

Starting from the classical studies on destructive obedience and authoritarianism and from some recent analyses that underline the centrality of the concept of responsibility in the relation between the individual and the society, the aim of this research is to deepen the understanding of the relationships between social responsibility, values, authoritarianism and social dominance orientation. The results of the research (on 229 university students) mshow that people feeling responsible only towards a generic conception of justice, far from everyday life, tend to be particularly authoritarian and to give much importance to materialistic values. On the other hand, people assuming responsibility in everyday interpersonal relationships are less authoritarian, and tend to give much importance to egalitarian values.