Attitudes toward human rights: Modal and Individual Personalities in Taiwan

The issue of human rights has gained attention in Taiwan, and this study represents a breakthrough regarding the use of an interdisciplinary research approach that includes a psychological focus. We utilized multiscale questionnaires to test the attitudes toward human rights from different perspectives. The results showed that the following: (1) The modal personalities of Taiwan, namely the authoritarian and dogmatic personalities, are not conducive to the development of human rights; (2) civil liberalism and globalism are good for the development of individual personalities, while patriotism and nationalism are not entirely bad, but support civil constraint; and (3) individuals in favor of civil liberalism are in the minority and face more difficulty in adapting to the Taiwanese environment. Our recommendation is that leaders who are strong in civil liberalism must be elected to encourage a culture of "obedience" and "disparate layout" for the development of human rights in Taiwan.