Deviant Leaders: Factors that Facilitate and Inhibit Transgression Credit.

Three series of studies will use experimental designs with samples of 40 participants per condition recruited from the Research Participation Scheme and MTURK, using topics spanning politics, management, and sport. Novel measurement techniques such as behavioural decisions, emotion, personality, attitudinal and implicit measures will be included. The first study in each series is described here. In each series, additional studies (b/c) will follow up specific results to probe theory and explanation.

Series 1: Three personality characteristics may affect TC. High need for cognitive closure (NFCC) promotes group centrism and preference for normative behaviour, but also attentiveness to member prototypicality2. Because leaders are highly prototypical3, it is predicted that NFCC promotes TC. Right wing authoritarianism (RWA) and social dominance orientation (SDO) are also likely to influence TC, but little attention has been paid to their effects in intragroup dynamics. RWA leads to harsher evaluations of people that threaten in-group cohesion4, suggesting deviant members and leaders may be evaluated similarly harshly. SDO is related to a preference for status hierarchies4 and thus may promote leniency for leaders, who hold more status than typical group members. Study 1a will use a 3 (personality construct) x 2 (transgressive leader vs. member) moderated regression study to assess the predictive power of NFCC, RWA, and SDO on favourability ratings.
Series 2. NFCC can also be influenced by situational factors such as induced identity uncertainty3 5. As well as having a direct effect, NFCC may therefore also play a mediating role between identity uncertainty and TC. Study 2a will test this with a 2 (identity certainty threatened vs. not threatened) x 2 (deviant leader vs. member) design and will employ various measures of situational NFCC.
Series 3. RWA and SDO may also be influenced by situational factors, particularly by the intergroup context. RWA and SDO are heightened by intergroup competition6 and, whereas NFCC should have a mediating role, RWA and SDO might moderate whether competition increases TC. Study 3a will use a 2 (high vs. low intergroup competition) x 2 (deviant leader vs. member) design and test the hypothesis that intergroup competition only results in TC among participants who are high in RWA or SDO.