Political Psychology:Citizen Behaviors and Opinions

Lecture 1

Political psychology

Program

What is political psychology?

History of political psychology

What will this course cover and

not cover?

Obedience to Authority film

What is political psychology?

Lecture 1

Political psychology

Political psychology

Not a course on a single topic.

Not a course on a single method.

Not a course on a single theory.

Political psychology

The interaction between psychological processes and political processes :

– the influence of psychological processes on political processes

– the influence of political processes on psychological processes

Political psychology

Psychological processes :motivations, perceptions, personalities, attitudes, cognitions, group dynamics, etc.

Political processes :political socialization, political culture, political movements, political parties, political systems, democratic processes, international relations, etc.

Many disciplines :psychology, political science, economics, philosophy, history, sociology, anthropology, psychiatry, communication, education, etc.

Many topics :political behaviors, mass media, leadership, decision-making, international conflicts, group conflicts, political mobilization, etc.

Many methods : survey, content analysis, questionnaire,

experiment, observation, case analysis, archival analysis, non-verbal analysis, etc.

Political psychology

History of political psychology

Lecture 1

Political psychology

Great trends

1940s and 1950s : personality

1960s and 1970s : attitudes

1980s and 1990s : cognition

2000- : groups? affect? biopolitics?

Institutionalization

1977 : International Society of Political Psychology

1978- : annual conference

1979- : Political Psychology journal

Multiple courses and programs

What will this course coverand not cover?

Lecture 1

Political psychology

The course

Political behaviors and opinions of ordinary citizens

Four most important approaches: personality, cognition, emotion, and biopolitics

Means: formal lectures and readings

Obedience to Authority film

Lecture 1

Political psychology