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Attitude questionnaires, designed to probe broad social and ethical aspects of personality, were given to samples of American and German youth. German youth favored obedience to authority—state or other—above independent decision and action more than did the Americans. Young German
Nazis apparently substituted state authority for family authority, while young anti-Nazis opposed the state, not because they rebelled against authoritarianism as such, but because they remained under the influence of family authority that was in conflict with the state. German youth admired men of great military and political power in world history more than did the Americans. The American youth viewed crime primarily as a matter of personal violence against other individuals, while for the Germans it was primarily a matter of disloyalty to the state and dishonor in one's own character. Correspondingly, the Americans placed relatively greater emphasis upon teaching children to be considerate of others, while the Germans stressed the importance of developing a sense of patriotism and an honorable character in children.