Contemporary Political Psychology

Spring 2000 Requirements and Readings

Course Description

This course focuses on recent research in political psychology. No readings published before the 1990's will be assigned. Naturally, we will discuss earlier work and its relation to recent advances, but this course focuses on the proverbial "cutting edge" in political psychology. During the first month of the course we will alternate readings representing two very different approaches to political psychology and two very different perspectives on Freedom. One approach is an empirical, "number crunching," yet eminently readable analysis of threats to freedom: Bob Altemeyer's third major work on the authoritarian personality. The second approach is theoretical and approaches the issue of freedom from a "feminist" perspective, albeit one which leaves behind the tired categories and arguments of first and second wave feminism and presents a liberating, indeed, revolutionary, view of freedom: Drucilla Cornell's recent tour de force on feminism, sex and equality. In the second and third months of the course we move into the journal literature where the most recent advances in political psychology can be found. We will not focus on any particular theme, although social dominance theory will pop up more often than other topics. Instead, we will select from a smorgasbord of methods and topics representing the variety that results of disciplinary cross fertilization.

Requirements

Beyond being prepared for each class by having read the day's assignment, there are two basic requirements for the course: two fifteen page research papers on a topic to be chosen in consultation with Professor Ward. The first paper is due before the Spring break, the second paper is due before the last day of class. Each paper will be worth 40% of your final grade. Ten percent of the grade will be based on participation, and ten percent on your own self-evaluation. Peer and self evaluation procedures will be discussed in class.

Readings

Jan 18: Orientation.

Jan 20: Altemeyer, B., The Authoritarian Specter, pp. 1-49.

Jan 25: Cornell, D., At the Heart of Freedom,, pp. ix-xvi, 3-51.

Jan 27: Altemeyer, B., The Authoritarian Specter, pp. 51-92.

Feb  1: Cornell, D., At the Heart of Freedom,, pp. 51-95.

Feb  3: Altemeyer, B., The Authoritarian Specter, pp. 93-145.

Feb  8: Cornell, D., At the Heart of Freedom,, pp. 96-150.

Feb 10: Altemeyer, B., The Authoritarian Specter, pp. 146-190.

Feb 15: Cornell, D., At the Heart of Freedom,, pp. 151-186.

Feb 17: Altemeyer, B., The Authoritarian Specter, pp. 191-257.

Feb 22: Altemeyer, B., The Authoritarian Specter, pp. 258-306.

Feb 24: Crigler, A. "Introduction: Making Sense of Politics;

Constructing Political Messages and Meanings," in Crigler, A., ed., The Psychology of Political Communication, pp. 1-10.

"Bennett, W.L., and Klockner, J.D., "The Psychology of Mass-Mediated Publics," in Crigler, A., ed., The Psychology of Political Communication, pp. 89-109

Grant, A., "Media Dependency and Multiple Media Sources," in Crigler, A., ed., The Psychology of Political Communication, pp. 199-210.

Feb 29: Sidanius, J. (1993), "The Psychology of Group Conflict and

the Dynamics of Oppression: A Social Dominance Perspective, in Iyengar, & McGuire, eds., Explorations in Political Psychology, pp. 182-218.

Levin, S., Sidanius, J., Rabinowitz, J. & Federico, C. (1998), "Ethnic Identity, Legitimizing Ideologies, and Social Status: A Matter of Ideological Asymmetry," Political Psychology, v. 19, no. 2, pp. 373-401.

Mar  2:Feldman, S. & Stenner, K. (1997), "Perceived Threat and

Authoritarianism," Political Psychology, v. 18, no. 4, pp.741-769.

Rickert, E. (1998), "Authoritarianism and Economic Threat: Implications for Political Behavior," Political Psychology, v. 19, no. 4, pp. 707-719.

Meloen, J., Van der Linden, G. & De Witte, H. (1996), "A Test of the Approaches of Adorno et al., Lederer and Altemeyer of Authoritarianism in Belgian Flanders: A Research Note," Political Psychology, v. 17, no. 4, pp. 643-653.

Mar  7: Levin, S. and Sidanius, J. (1999), "Social Dominance and

Social Identity in the United States and Israel: Ingroup Favoritism or Outgroup Derogation?" Political Psychology, v. 20, no. 1, pp. 99-124.

"Rabinowitz, J., (1999), "Go With the Flow or Fight the Power? The Interactive Effects of Social Dominance Orientation and Perceived Injustice on Support for the Status Quo," Political Psychology, v. 20, no. 1, pp. 1-21.

Mar  9: Ottati, V. & Wyer, R. (1993), "Affect and Political Judgment,"

in Iyengar, & McGuire, eds., Explorations in Political Psychology, pp. 296-315.

"Just, M., Crigler, A. & Neuman, W.R. (1998), "Cognitive and Affective Dimensions of Political Conceptualization," in Crigler, A., ed., The Psychology of Political Communication, pp. 133-148.

Mar 21: Koopman, C. (1997), "Political Psychology as a Lens for

Viewing Traumatic Events," Political Psychology, v. 18, no. 4, pp. 831-844.

Suedfeld, P., (1997), Reactions to Societal Trauma: Distress and/or Eustress," Political Psychology, v. 18, no. 4, pp. 849-859.

Vertzberger, Y. (1997), "The Antinomies of Collective Political Trauma: A Pre-Theory," Political Psychology, v. 18, no. 4, pp. 863-874.

Mar 23: Merelman, R., Streich, G. & Martin, P. (1998), "Unity and

Diversity in American Political Culture: an Exploratory Study of the National Conversation on American Pluralism and Identity," Political Psychology, v. 19, no. 4, pp. 781-804.

Duncan, L. (1999), "Motivation for Collective Action: Group Consciousness as Mediator of Personality, Life Experiences, and Women's Rights Activism," Political Psychology, v. 20, no. 3, pp. 611-633.

Mar 28: Cook, T., "The Negotiation of Newsworthiness," in Crigler,

A., ed., The Psychology of Political Communication, pp. 11-34.

Hart, R., Smith-Howell, D. & Llewellyn, J., "News, Psychology, and Presidential Politics," in Crigler, A., ed., The Psychology of Political Communication, pp. 37-64.

Mar 30: Alger, D., "Constructing Campaign Messages and Public

Understanding: The 1990 Wellstone-Boschwitz Senate Race in Minnesota," in Crigler, A., ed., The Psychology of Political Communication, pp. 65-87.

Gamson, W., "Media Discourse as a Framing Resource," in Crigler, A., ed., The Psychology of Political Communication, pp. 111-131.

Apr  4: Fox, R.L. & Smith, E.R.A.N. (1998), "The Role of Candidate

Sex in Voter Decision-Making," Political Psychology, v. 19, no. 2, pp. 405-414.

Keating, C.F. Randal, D. & Kendrick, T. (1999), "Presidential Physiognomies: Altered Images, Altered Perceptions," Political Psychology, v. 20, no. 3, pp. 607-623.

Schultz, C. & Pancer, S.M. (1997), "Character Attacks and Their Effects on Perceptions of Male and Female Political candidates," Political Psychology, v. 18, no. 1, pp. 93-100.

Apr  6: Delli Carpini, M.X. & Williams, B., "Constructing Public

Opinion: The Uses of Fictional and Nonfictional Television in Conversations about the Environment," in Crigler, A., ed., The Psychology of Political Communication, pp. 149-174.

Perloff, R., "Perceptions and Conceptions of Political Media Impact: The Third-Person Effect and Beyond," in Crigler, A., ed., The Psychology of Political Communication, pp. 177-197.

Apr 11: Runyan, W.M. (1993), "Psychohistory and Political

Psychology: A Comparative Analysis," in Iyengar, & McGuire, eds., Explorations in Political Psychology, pp. 36-62.

Birt, R. (1993), "Personality and Foreign Policy: The Case of Stalin," Political Psychology, v. 14, no. 4, pp. 607-623.

Friedman, W. (1994), "Woodrow Wilson and Colonel House and Political Psychobiography," Political Psychology, v. 15, no. 1, pp. 35-59.

Apr 13: Immerman, A. (1993), "The Assessment of Political

Personality: A Psychodiagnostically Relevant Conceptualization and Methodology," Political Psychology, v. 14, no. 4, pp. 725-738

Apr 18: Readings for the last three weeks of class will be decided

upon in class.

Apr 20: Readings for the last three weeks of class will be decided

upon in class.

Apr 25: Readings for the last three weeks of class will be decided

upon in class.

Apr 27: Readings for the last three weeks of class will be decided

upon in class.

May  2: Readings for the last three weeks of class will be decided

upon in class.

May  4: Readings for the last three weeks of class will be decided

upon in class.