POLS 6160 - Political Psychology

This course is designed to be a broad overview for graduate students in the field of political psychology. Political psychology is both a “field” in and of itself, as well as a family of approaches used in every other field of political science. At its core, political psychology is concerned with the causes, dynamics, and consequences of human thinking and action in the context of politics. The goals of the course will be to 1) review, discuss, and evaluate historically important “classics” in political psychology as well as contemporary contributions and controversies, and 2) provide an opportunity for students to engage in practical exercises to conduct their own experimental research in political psychology. We will consider basic issues in research design and ethical concerns for human subjects research. Numerous examples will be drawn from social psychology and political science literature.