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Political Psychology and Society

Module description

When we study political attitudes and behaviour we are often content to look at what is influenced by certain political attitudes. Or we look at socio-economic correlates with attitudes and behaviours, from terrorism, racism and intolerance to voting. In other words, we ignore what is often referred to as the “black box”, or the psychological processes and dynamics that lie behind these attitudes and behaviours. Political psychology focuses explicitly on the “black box.” In this module, you will look at the psychology of mass political behaviour, looking first at the kinds of factors that seem to lead to ostensibly normal people engaging in abnormal behaviour, such as committing atrocities, and then at explanations for more benign behaviour such as voting and vote preferences. Political psychology has provided a wealth of new insights and approaches to the study of politics, many of which you will encounter in this module.

No prior knowledge skills or experience are required to take this module and it is suitable for specialist and non-specialist students.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to equip you with the tools to describe and evaluate political psychological theories of decision-making and thus with the skills to develop your own ideas about what drives political attitudes and behaviours. The module begins by focusing on socialization and other explanations for where political attitudes come from before surveying a number of major topics within the field, including explanations for various kinds of violence and racism. You will learn about different theoretical perspectives and how to apply them to different examples in the study of mass behaviour. You will have the opportunity to discuss and evaluate contending theoretical perspectives and to bring theory and practice together to form their own perspectives. You will be encouraged to think critically about all of the key concepts that are explored in the module and to think about how they relate to wider questions and debates in Politics and International Relations (but also in psychology and history) about public opinion and behaviours. Using a range of learning methods including group presentations, research-based problem-solving exercises, film analysis, and general discussion and debate, you will have the opportunity to consider explanations of what people do and why - in societies throughout the world – and how this shapes contemporary world politics.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. demonstrate detailed knowledge of the major theories of mass political attitudes and behaviour in the field of political psychology in oral and written work;
• 2. evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different theories and research about mass political attitudes and behaviour in oral and written work;
• 3. apply a range of psychological theories to mass decision-making in oral and written work;

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. use key concepts pertaining to mass political attitudes and behaviour in oral and written work;
• 5. synthesize and critique a variety of theories and arguments in the field in your written work;
• 6. demonstrate a deep understanding of the implications of new evidence for a given theory of mass political attitudes and behaviour in your oral and written work;
• 7. demonstrate that you understand different methods of research in the field and their implications for findings in your oral and written work;

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 8. work independently including presentations for class discussion, and in spontaneous discussion and defence of arguments, and to manage conflict;
• 9. demonstrate oral and written analytical and organizational skills in essays, presentations and discussion;
• 10. write essays effectively, using a range of appropriate materials, and working to a deadline.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

• An Introduction to Political Psychology & Mass Decision-Making
  Key concepts in political psychology
  
  
• Political Socialization
  Where do political attitudes come from?
  How stable are political attitudes?
  
  
• Obedience and Authoritarianism
  The Milgram experiments
  Theories of authoritarianism and their implications for democratic citizenship
  
  
• Atrocities
  From Norman atrocities to the present day. What makes ordinary people participate in atrocities?
  
  
• Terrorism
  Is there a ‘terrorist personality’?
  
  
• Racism
  How can political psychologists measure racism?
  What causes racism?
  Stereotype threat and the effects of racism on its targets
  
  
• Tolerance
  Theories of political tolerance and the implications of intolerance
  
  
• Affect and Emotion
  Traditional views of the detrimental effects of affect on decision-making
  Contemporary views of ‘affective intelligence’ and the role of emotion in rational decision-making
  
  
• Media
  How do individuals process information from media?
  What are the effects of media? Looking at agenda setting, priming, and framing. Misinformation.
  
  
• Participation, Deliberation and Influence of Peers
  Deliberative polls, explanation of their effects, and what they imply
  Why people vote and the influence of social pressure
  
  
• Neuroscience and Genetics
  The neuroscientific turn in political psychology. The promise and limitation of fMRI
  Contemporary research into genetic influences on political attitudes and behaviours and its implications for political psychology
  
  

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Re-assessment of the essay will require the completion of a new essay based on a new topic, to be decided with the module convenor.

If re-assessment is on the topic essay, a new topic will be given.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Houghton, David Patrick. 2014 (2nd edition). Political Psychology: Situations, Individuals and Cases. New York: Routledge.
• Huddy Leonie, David O. Sears, Levy Jack S. (2013, 2^nd edition). The Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology. Oxford/NY: Oxford University Press.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE – Faculty to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages
• Political Psychology journal Political Psychology - Wiley Online Library

Key words search

Psychology, Politics, Behaviour, Cognition, Emotions, Affect