Political Psychology (335-0-20)

Instructors

Martin Naunov

Meeting Info

Scott Hall 201 Ripton Room: Mon, Wed 9:30AM - 10:50AM

Overview of class

This course applies psychological theories, concepts, and methods to better understand political behavior. It introduces students to key theories and questions that define political psychology as a discipline, exploring how people form and change political attitudes, the extent to which they are open to evidence that challenges their views, and whether their voting decisions are based on policy alignment or shaped by group identities, emotions, and biases. We will also examine what drives individuals to engage in collective action, why some disengage from politics, and how emotions, social identity, personality traits, and cognitive styles influence political judgment. By engaging with these and related questions, this course—and political psychology as a discipline—empirically evaluates the nature and quality of democratic citizenship, assessing whether citizens and leaders are capable of sound political judgment and whether they hold, and are willing to uphold, democratic values.

Learning Objectives

• Familiarize students with some of the key questions, theories, and literatures in political psychology, as well as their sources in psychology.
• Gain familiarity with key methodological approaches, such as survey experiments, and the norms that enhance the credibility of empirical findings (e.g., pre-registration and data-sharing).
• Develop skills to interpret and critically evaluate the validity, reliability, and implications of social science research.

Teaching Method

Seminar/ Discussion with some lecture

Evaluation Method

Class participation, exams, and writing assignments

Class Materials (Required)

None

Class Attributes

Social and Behavioral Science Foundational Discipl
Social & Behavioral Sciences Distro Area