Political psychology is a dynamic subfield at the intersection of psychology and political science. The specific relationship between politics and social psychology has been steadily evolving in recent years, making it a compelling and exciting area of study. The chapters in this reader were written by leading scholars in the areas of political science and social psychology. Both contemporary and classic articles are compiled, demonstrating the ever-changing nature of political psychology and offering comprehensive coverage of social psychological research into the processes that have governed local and global affairs in the postmodern world. Topics covered include authoritarianism, political leadership, public opinion, decision-making, prejudice, intergroup relations, terrorism, and revolution.
Part 1. Historical Introduction
The Poly-Psy Relationship: Three Phases of A Long Affair, W.J. McGuire
Part II. Personality and Politics
A. Authoritarianism and Mass Psychology
The Authoritarian Personality and the Organization of Attitudes, R. Brown
Threat and Authoritarianism in the United States: 1978-1987, R.M. Doty, B.E. Peterson, and D.G. Winter
The Other "Authoritarian Personality,"B. Altemeyer
B. Political Elites and Leadership
Can Personality and Politics Be Studied Systematically?,F. Greenstein
Leader Appeal, Leader Performance, and the Motive Profiles of Leaders and Followers: A Study of American Presidents and Elections,D.G. Winter
Part III. Mass Media and Candidate Perception
Experimental Demonstrations of the "not-so-animal" Consequences of Television News Programs,S. Iyengar, M. Peters, and D. Kinder
Altering the Foundation of Support for the President Through Priming, J.A. Krosnick and D.R. Kinder
Anxiety, Enthusiasm, and the Vote: The Emotional Underpinnings of Learning and Involvement During Presidential Campaigns, G.E. Marcus and M. MacKuen
Part IV. Idealogy and Public Opinion
A. Does Ideology Exist?
The Nature of Belief Systems in Mass Publics, P.E. Converse
The Origins and Meaning of Liberal-Conservative Self-Identification, P. Conover and S. Feldman
B. Cognitive Style and Ideological Functioning
The Fear of Equality, R.E. Lane
Cognitive Style and Political Belief Systems in the British House of Commons, P.E. Tetlock
Part V. Challenges of Decision-Making
Contrasting Rational and Psychological Analyses of Political Choice, G.A. Quattrone and A. Tversky
The Drunkard's Search, R. Jervis
Part VI. Prejudice, Diversity, and Social Contact
A. Theories of Intergroup Relations in Society
The Social Identity Theory of Intergroup Behavior, H. Tajfel and J.C. Turner
The Role of Stereotyping in System-Justification and the Production of False Consciousness, J.T. Jost and M.R. Banaji
Social Dominance Theory: A New Synthesis, J. Sidanius and R. Pratto
B. The Enduring Problem of Racism
Group Conflict, Prejudice and the Paradox of Contemporary Racial Attitudes, L. Bobo
Is It Really Racism? The Origins of White Americans' opposition to race-targeted Policies, D.O. Sears, C. Van Laar, M. Carrillo, and R. Kosterman
Part VII. Conflict, Violence, and Political Transformation
A. The Social Psychology of Wrongdoing and Harm
Social Organization for the Production of Evil, J.M. Darley
The Psychology of Political Terrorism, M. Crenshaw
B. Protest and Revolution
Theoretical Approaches to Explaining Collective Political Violence, H. Eckstein
Politicized and Collectie Identity, B. Simon and B. Klandermans
“Given the need to be selective and to provide a coherent perspective on each theme within a single book, the editors have generally tackled a difficult brief extremely well. The breadth and depth make a volume suitable for use in many final-year and masters-degree courses in social psychology. It also provides an ideal introduction to top-level original research articles that should motivate students to pursue the current literature in a more targeted way. […] This is an excellent series that will provide an invaluable compendium of the themes that have dominated the 20th Century.” - Diane Houston, University of Kent, in the Times Higher Education Supplement
The aim of the series is to make available to senior undergraduate and graduate students key articles in each area of social psychology in an attractive, user-friendly format.
Many professors want to encourage their students to engage directly with research in their fields, yet this can often be daunting for students coming to detailed study of a topic for the first time.
Moreover, declining library budgets mean that articles are not always readily available, and course packs can be expensive and time-consuming to produce.
Key Readings in Social Psychology aims to address this need by providing comprehensive volumes, each one of which is edited by a senior and active researcher in the field.
Articles are carefully chosen to illustrate the way the field has developed historically as well as current issues and research directions.
Each volume has a similar structure that includes:
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