Lecture Notes: Intersection of Political Science and Psychology

Introduction

• Focus on intersection of political science and psychology.
• Application in voter decision making and international relations.
• Psychology also linked with economics, particularly microeconomics.

Psychology in International Relations

• Social Psychology: Study of individuals in group settings.
  • Levels of analysis: small groups, nations, large crowds, movements, or group relations.

Psychology as a Tool in Foreign Policy

• Psychological Profiling:

  • Used by CIA, State Department since the 1960s.
  • Involves understanding leaders' personality profiles and reactions.
  • Examples: identifying negotiation strategies based on opponent's personality.

• Decision Making: Utilize psychology to predict reactions based on behavior patterns.

  • Pros and cons of psychological profiling in diplomacy.
  • Technological intelligence vs. psychological insight.

Psychology in Political Analysis

• Behavioral Insights:

  • Identifying patterns in human behavior to make predictions.

• Profiling:

  • Building a biography and identifying biases.
  • Using predispositions to analyze and predict actions.
  • Margaret Herman's framework of leadership analysis.
    • Six personality traits: nationalism, control perception, power need, complexity, self-confidence, affiliation need.

Mindsets and Perception

• Mindsets:

  • Pre-existing beliefs that filter information.
  • Confirmation bias and selective information processing.

• Perception in Decision Making:

  • Operational vs. Socio-Psychological Environment.
  • Misperception leads to incorrect actions; cannot assume correct perception changes outcomes.

Group Psychology

• Group Decision Making:

  • Stress levels, team cohesion, and information access affect decisions.
  • Evaluating bilateral vs. multilateral negotiations.

• Groupthink:

  • Stress-induced cohesion leads to consensus over accuracy.
  • Example: Bay of Pigs, Iraq WMDs.
  • Avoiding groupthink through external challenges and diverse perspectives.

Processing Risk

• Prospect Theory:
  • Human behavior in risk situations explored.
  • Risk aversion in gain vs. willingness for risk in potential loss.
  • Highlights potential irrationality in decision-making behavior.

Conclusion

• Importance of integrating psychology into political science for deeper insights.
• Unanswered questions about leader interactions on the international stage based on personality types.