POL36070 Political Psychology

Academic Year 2023/2024

This module introduces concepts from psychology (e.g. beliefs, emotions, or personality) to better understand politics (e.g. elite decision-making, voting behaviour, or popular uprisings). Topics will be structured around three types of methods that are frequently applied in psychology: experiments, surveys, and interviews. You will gain first-hand research experience by working in small teams to evaluate primary data on a topic of your choice (e.g. right-wing voting, state decisions to go to war, or emotional effects of terror attacks). Ideally, the research you will conduct in this module will provide you with a basis for an undergraduate/ master’s thesis, or for an essay to convince your future employers of your research skills.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

- Appreciation of the added value of concepts from psychology to the study of politics
- Extensive knowledge of concepts and methods applied in political psychology
- Understanding of the psychological foundations of various types of political behaviour, such as voting, elite decision-making, or dissent
- First-hand experience in empirical research
- Teamwork skills

Indicative Module Content:

Introduction to key concepts of psychology
Discussion of political behaviour as varied as voting, elite decision-making, and political dissent
Analysis of data from experiments, surveys and interviews

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Autonomous Student Learning

176
Total

200
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Lectures
Analysis of primary data in teams
Presentation and discussion of teamwork 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Examination: Final exam 1 hour End of Trimester Exam No Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% Yes

40
Continuous Assessment: Group project 2. Main task: essay writing. Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

20
Continuous Assessment: Group project 3: research design. Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

20
Continuous Assessment: Group project 1. Main task: presentations. Throughout the Trimester n/a Other No

20

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

We will discuss your assignments in our lectures. Related power point slides will be available on Brightspace. You will be asked to read and comment on the assignments of other students/groups.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
 
Autumn
      
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Wed 14:00 - 15:50