Political Psychology

Fall 2007 Requirements and Readings

Course Description

      This course provides an introduction to the psychological foundations of political life. It is a cross disciplinary course which requires some familiarity with both political science and psychology. During the course we will explore three different areas of psychology: affective, cognitive, and group psychology. We will apply those psychological theories to particular political problems including foreign policy decision making, the formation of belief systems, moral reasoning and ideology, colonialism, political socialization, political history, political culture, mass hysteria, psychohistory, Machiavellianism, social dominance orientation, authoritarianism and the formation of generational units.

      During the first few weeks of the course it may seem as if we are paying too much attention to psychology and not enough attention to politics. In addition, it may be difficult to see the relationship between cognitive, affective and group psychology. Be patient. The three theories do fit together, and each is a necessary tool for understanding political behavior.

      The purpose of the course is to provide you with a model of the political mind that is fairly comprehensive, multi-dimensional, and flexible. Such qualities are not easily nor quickly achieved. Furthermore, it will be impossible for me to make all the necessary connections. You will have to provide sustained and concentrated attention if the goals of the course are to be achieved. If you are successful you should end the semester with a broader and deeper understanding of the political world.

      In addition to the main goal of developing a model of the political mind, there are five other goals. The most general purpose of the course simply is to introduce you to some of the "classics" in the relatively new discipline of political psychology. A second purpose is to provide a cross-disciplinary approach to the study of politics. This is a deceptively simple goal, but is nevertheless of fundamental importance. It is my belief that the trend toward specialization within disciplines has run its course. The future will require people who are able to step across the boundaries of traditional academic disciplines in order to construct models of complex systems which encompass the tremendous accumulation of specialized knowledge which has accrued over the last century. A third purpose of the course is to provide some appreciation for the various steps involved in the conduct of social science inquiry, from theory construction through empirical confirmation. A fourth purpose is to sharpen your critical, writing, oral, and research skills. The ultimate purpose is to provoke thought and to enjoy the exploration of a new field.

      One more general comment about the course is in order. This is a course about power. It may not seem so at first, but you ought to keep this focus in mind throughout the course. We are looking at how people respond to exercising power, how people respond when power is exercised over them, how people use power to achieve their ends, and how people respond to changing distributions of power. On that note it should be said that our relationships among ourselves are appropriate topics of discussion. Power in this course is shared with the group as a whole. Nothing is non-negotiable, anything can be changed.

      Finally, a few words on my general orientation toward education are in order. You are the only person responsible for your education and you must take an active part in that process. If you expect to sit back and have me do your thinking for you or entertain you, you will be disappointed. I hope to challenge you, at times to guide you, and to provide as much intellectual stimulation as my abilities permit, but learning requires autonomy and initiative, and this you must provide. I expect you to challenge me and to question my assumptions. In the process I expect to learn at least as much from you as you may learn from me.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

      Grades will be based on the following five criteria:

      1) On Thursday, September 6, you will each submit a statement of your goals for the course. This statement should be as specific and detailed as possible. Plan your method for meeting the responsibilities of this course, set weekly goals and time schedules, or whatever will help you to think about why you are taking this particular course and how it fits your over-all learning goals. Then on the last day of class you will turn in a self-evaluation in which you will analyze how well you met your goals, how your goals changed, and what unforeseen goals emerged. You will then assign yourself an over-all grade based on your performance in this course and this will constitute ten percent of your final grade.

      2) Five percent of your grade will be based on peer evaluations. On December 11, peer evaluations are due. Each student will email to me (dward@pitzer.edu) an evaluation of each student's performance in the class. Type the name of the student being evaluated, followed by a LETTER GRADE (e.g., A, A-, AB, B+, B, etc.). The evaluators will remain anonymous. The grade given should reflect your judgment of the other students' contribution to your understanding of the issues raised in the course. For instance, did the student participate actively in class or outside class? How good were the students' oral presentations? In short, how effective was each student's participation in class? Below the student's name and the assigned grade type as thorough and thoughtful an analysis as possible of the basis of your evaluation, emphasizing strengths and weaknesses and making suggestions for improvement. Peer evaluations will constitute ten percent of the final grade. Failure to turn in peer evaluations will result in your peer evaluation registering as zero in calculating your final grade.

      3) A three page (maximum) research design for testing a hypothesis in the field of political psychology. This is a much more difficult task than it may seem. You will each have an opportunity to re-write the research design. The design will be due October 4, and will constitute twenty percent of your final grade. Bill Trochim's Center for Social Research Methods will be a very useful site for working on your research design. Also there are a number of resources for scales and measures including: Joel Fischer (2007), Measures for Clinical Practice and Research: A Sourcebook, 2 vols., Oxford University Press, and John Robinson, Phillip Shaver, and Lawrence Wrightsman (1999), Measures of Political Attitudes, two volumes, Academic Press.

      4) A five to seven page paper on a topic of your choice which must be approved by me. This paper will be due November 20 and will constitute twenty percent of your final grade.

      5) A ten to twelve page paper summarizing and criticizing the field of political psychology as presented in the course readings and lectures. This is due by the start of the period scheduled for the final exam (Dec. 20, 7:00 PM) and will constitute forty percent of your final grade. You should be working on the paper all semester long.

      ALL LATE PAPERS WILL BE DOWNGRADED ONE GRADE FOR EACH 24 HOUR PERIOD THAT THE PAPER IS LATE.

      I recommend that you consult with me early and often on your choice of research design and paper topics. You must be careful that your topics are in the field of political psychology, not psychology or politics per se. That is, the problem or issue you investigate must be "political", and you must use psychological theories or concepts in your analysis of the issue (or you must show how political processes affect psychological variables). Your definition of political, however, can be fairly broad as long as it is clearly spelled out. At the same time, you must be sure that your topic is not too narrowly political, i.e., you must spell out the psychological foundations of your argument. A second caution is that your paper must have a hypothesis. It can not be a mere description. Description is for journalism. You must state your hypothesis early in the paper and the remainder of the paper must be devoted to establishing your argument. Note that there is a world of difference between an assertion and an argument.

      You may find the following links useful in exploring what is available on the WWW relevant to political psychology:

GRADING WEIGHTS

Self-evaluation: 10%
Peer-evaluation: 5%
Research Design: 20%
Short Paper: 25%
Long Paper: 40%

COURSE ORGANIZATION

      From time to time during the semester we will break up into smaller discussion groups of 3 to 5 people during class. These discussion groups will focus on one of the assigned readings. Each group will analyze and criticize the book or article and then we will re-constitute ourselves into one group and compare our conclusions. On some occasions one group will be assigned the task of defending the book, while the other group will point out its weaknesses. On each occasion when we break up into smaller discussion groups one or two individuals will be selected to lead the group's discussion when we move back into the larger group. Near the end of the semester we will divide the assigned readings among members of the class who will summarize their assigned reading for the rest of the class. This will reduce some of the reading load at the end of the semester while still covering the material.

Required Texts

• Hoover, Kenneth, Elements Of Social Scientific Thinking
• Jost, John and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings,
• Sears, David O., Leonie Huddy and Robert Jervis, Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology

Readings

Sept 5: Course Orientation

Sept 10: Dana Ward, "Political Psychology: Origins and Development," in K. R. Monroe,

Political Psychology, pp. 61-78. (On Electornic Reserve at Honnold. )

Sears, David O., Leonie Huddy and Robert Jervis, "The Psychologies Underlying Political Psychology," Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology, pp. 3-16.

John Jost and Jim Sidanius, "Political Psychology: An Introduction," Political Psychology: Key Readings,, pp. 1-17.

Sept 12: John Jost and Jim Sidanius, "Historical Introduction," Political Psychology:
          Key Readings,, pp. 19-20.

William McGuire, "The Poly-Psy Relationship: Three Phases of a Long Affair," in John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 22-31.

Morton Deutsch and Catarina Kinnvall, "What is Political Psychology?" in K. R. Monroe, Political Psychology, pp. 15-42. (On Electornic Reserve at Honnold. )

Jon Krosnick and Kathleen McGraw, "Psychological Political Science Versus Political Psychology True to Its Name: A Plea for Balance," in K. R. Monroe, Political Psychology, pp. 79-94. (On Electornic Reserve at Honnold. )

George E. Marcus, "Political Psychology: A Personal View," in K. R. Monroe, Political Psychology, pp. 95-106. (On Electornic Reserve at Honnold. )

Sept 17: Christian H. Jordan and Mark P. Zanna, "How to Read a Journal Article in Socical
          Psychology," in John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings,,
          pp. 467-476.

Fred I. Greenstein, "Can Personality and Politics Be Studied Systemically?" in John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings,, pp. 108-123.

David Winter, "Personality and Political Behavior," in David O. Sears, Leonie Huddy and Robert Jervis, Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology, pp. 110-145.

Sept 19: David O. Sears and Sheri Levy, "Childhood and Adult Political Development," in
          David O. Sears, Leonie Huddy and Robert Jervis, Oxford Handbook of Political
          Psychology, pp. 60-109.

Sept 24: John Jost and Jim Sidanius, "Ideology and Public Opinion: Does Ideology Exist?" in
          John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 177-180.

Philip E. Converse, "The Nature of Belief Systems in Mass Publics," in John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 181-199.

Pamela Johnston Conover and Stanley Feldman, "The Origins and Meaning of Liberal/Conservative Self-Identifications," in John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 200-216.

Robert E. Lane, "The Fear of Equality," in John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 217-229.

Sept 26: Stanley Feldman, "Values, Ideology, and the Structure of Political Attitudes," in
          David O. Sears, Leonie Huddy and Robert Jervis, Oxford Handbook of Political
           Psychology, pp. 477-508.

Philip E. Tetlock, "Cognitive and Political Belief Systems in the British House of Commons," in John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 230-240.

Oct  1: James Best, Public Opinion: Micro and Macro, pp. 48-69. (On
          Electornic Reserve at Honnold. )

Lawrence Kohlberg, "The Development of Moral Character and Moral Ideology", in Hoffman, M. and Hoffman, L. (eds.), Review of Child Development Research, pp. 383-427. (On Electornic Reserve at Honnold. )

Oct  3: Virginia Sapiro, "Theorizing Gender in Political Psychology Research," in David
          O. Sears, Leonie Huddy and Robert Jervis, Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology,
          pp. 601-634.

Dana Ward, "Hearing Voices: The Myth of Gendered Judgment", paper presented at the International Society of Political Psychology annual meeting, Santiago de Compastela, Spain, July 1994. (On Electornic Reserve at Honnold. )

Dana Ward, "Still Hearing Voices: The Persistent Myth of Gendered Judgment," Keynote address presented at the VIIIth Biennial conference of the International Society for Justice Research held at the College of Management, Rishon LeZion, Israel, September 18-21, 2000.(On Electornic Reserve at Honnold. )

Oct  8: John Jost and Jim Sidanius, "Authoritarianism and Mass Psychology," in John Jost
          and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 33-38.

Roger Brown, "The Authoritarian Personality and the Organization of Attitudes, in John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 39-68.

Bob Altemeyer, "The Other 'Authoritarian Personality'," in John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 85-107.

Oct 10: Richard M. Doty, Bill E. Peterson, and David Winter, "Threat and Authoritarianism
          in the United States: 1978-1987," in John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology:
          Key Readings, pp. 69-84.

Andrew J. Perrin, "National Threat and Political Culture: Authoritarianism, Antiauthoritarianism, and the September 11 Attacks, Political Psychology, Volume 26, Number 2, April 2005, pp. 167-194. Available through Electronic Journals on the Honnold Library Website (you must be logged into a campus computer to access the article).

Howard Lavine, Milton Lodge, and Kate Freitas, "Threat Authoritarianism, and Selective Exposure to Information, Political Psychology, Volume 26, Number 2, April 2005, pp. 219-244. Available through Electronic Journals on the Honnold Library Website (you must be logged into a campus computer to access the article).

Oct 15: Jost Stellmacher and Thomas Petzel, "Authoritarianism as a Group
          Phenomenon," Political Psychology, Volume 26, Number 2, April 2005, pp. 245-274.
           Available through Electronic Journals on the Honnold Library Website (you must be
          logged into a campus computer to access the article).

Detlef Oesterreich, "Flight into Security: A New Approach and Measure of the Authoritarian Personality," Political Psychology, Volume 26, Number 2, April 2005, pp. 275-297. Available through Electronic Journals on the Honnold Library Website (you must be logged into a campus computer to access the article).

Oct 17: Jim Sidanius and Robert Kurzban, "Evolutionary Approaches to Political Psychology,"
          in David O. Sears, Leonie Huddy and Robert Jervis, Oxford Handbook of
          Political Psychology, pp. 146-181.

Jim Sidanius and Felicia Pratto, "Social Dominance Theory: A New Synthesis," in John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 315-332.

Oct 24: George E. Marcus and Michael B. MacKuen, "Emotions and Politics: The Dynamic
          Functions of Emotionality," in James H. Kuklinski, ed., Citizens and Politics: Perspectives
          from Political Psychology, pp. 41-67. (On Electornic Reserve at Honnold. )

George Marcus, "The Psychology of Emotion and Politics," in David O. Sears, Leonie Huddy and Robert Jervis, Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology, pp. 182-221.

Oct 29: David Winter, "Leader Appeal, Leader Performance, and the Motive Profiles
          of Leaders and Followers: A Study of American Presidents and Elections," in John Jost
          and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 124-134.

Oct 31: Leonie Huddy, "Group Identity and Political Cohesion," in David O. Sears, Leonie
          Huddy and Robert Jervis, Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology, pp. 511-558.

Nov  5: John Jost and Jim Sidanius, "Prejudice, Diversity, and Social Contact: Theories
          of Intergroup Relations in Society," in John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology:
          Key Readings, pp. 271-275.

Henri Taifel and John C. Turner, "The Social Identity Theory of Intergroup Behavior," in John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 276-293.

John Jost and Mahzarin R. Banaji, "The Role of Stereotyping in System Justification and the Production of False Consciousness," in John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 294-314.

Nov  7: John Duckitt, "Prejudice and Intergroup Hostility," in David O. Sears, Leonie
          Huddy and Robert Jervis, Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology, pp. 559-600.

Lawrence Bobo, "Group Conflict, Prejudice and the Paradox of Contemporary Racial Attitudes," in John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 333-357.

David O. Sears, Colette van Laar, Mary Carillo and Rick Kosterman, "Is It Really Racism? The Origins of White Americans' Opposition to Race-Targeted Policies," in John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 358-377.

Nov 12: John Jost and Jim Sidanius, "The Social Psychology of Wrongdoing and Harm," in
          John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 379-382.

John Darley, "Social Organization for the Production of Evil," in John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 383-410.

Martha Crenshaw, "The Psychology of Political Terrorism," in John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 411-431.

Nov 14: Harry Eckstein, "Theoretical Approaches to Explaining Collective Political
          Violence," in John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 432-448.

Ervin Staub and Daniel Bar-Tal, "Genocide, Mass Killing and Intractable Conflict: Roots, Evolution, Prevention, and Reconciliation," in David O. Sears, Leonie Huddy and Robert Jervis, Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology, pp. 710-751.

Nov 19: Bert Klandermans, "Collective Political Action," in David O. Sears, Leonie Huddy
          and Robert Jervis, Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology, pp. 670-709.

Bernd Simon and Bert Klandermans, "Politicized Collective Identity," in John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 449-465.

Nov 21: Jack Levy, "Political Psychology and Foreign Policy," in David O. Sears, Leonie
           Huddy and Robert Jervis, Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology, pp. 253-284.

Richard K. Herrmann, "Image Theory and Strategic Interaction in International Relations," in David O. Sears, Leonie Huddy and Robert Jervis, Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology, pp. 285-314.

Nov 26: Herbert Kelman and Ronald Fisher, "Conflict Analysis and Resolution," in David O.
          Sears, Leonie Huddy and Robert Jervis, Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology,
           pp. 315-353.

Nov 28: Shanto Iyengar, Mark D. Peters, and Donald Kinder, "Experimental Demonstrations of
          the 'Not-So-Minimal' Consequences of Television News Programs," in John Jost and Jim
          Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 139-149.

Jon Krosnick and Donald Kinder, "Altering the Foundations of Support for the President Through Priming," in John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 150-162.

George Marcus and Michael MacKuen, "Anxiety, Enthusiasm, and the Vote: The Emotional Underpinnings of Learning and Involvement During Presidential Campaigns," in John Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, pp. 163-176.

Dec  3: Donald Kinder, "Communication and Politics in the Age of Information," in David O.
          Sears, Leonie Huddy and Robert Jervis, Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology,
          pp. 357-393.

Kathleen McGraw, "Political Impressions: Formation and Management," in David O. Sears, Leonie Huddy and Robert Jervis, Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology, pp. 394-432.

Dec  5: Charles Taber, "Information Processing and Public Opinion," in David O. Sears,
          Leonie Huddy and Robert Jervis, Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology, pp. 433-476.

Dec 10: Robert Lane, "Rescuing Political Science from Itself," in David O. Sears, Leonie
          Huddy and Robert Jervis, Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology, pp. 755-793.

Lane, R.E., "Government and Self Esteem", Political Theory, vol. 10, #1, pp. 5-31. (On Electornic Reserve at Honnold. )

Lane, R.E., "Interpersonal Relations and Leadership in a Cold Society", Comparative Politics, vol. 10, pp. 443-459. (On Electornic Reserve at Honnold. )

Dec 12: Lane, R.E., "Experiencing Money and Experiencing Power", in Shapiro and
          Reeher, eds., Inequality and Democratic Politics, pp. 80-101. (On
          Electornic Reserve at Honnold. )

Lane, R.E., "Political Observers and Market Participants: The Effects on Cognition", Political Psychology, vol. 4, pp. 455-482. (On Electornic Reserve at Honnold. )

Lane, R.E., "Market Justice, Political Justice:, American Political Science Review, vol. 80, #2, pp. 383-400. (On Electornic Reserve at Honnold. )