Political Psychology Minor

Political psychology is a rapidly advancing field of scientific inquiry concerned with psychological aspects of political behavior. It encompasses a variety of interdisciplinary research perspectives, drawing on the theories and methods of core disciplines such as psychology, political science, law, and sociology, as well as interdisciplinary fields such as mass communication and decision sciences. The minor's structured curriculum provides a foundation in basic areas of political psychology: ideology, partisanship, and political attitudes; political cognition; judgment and decision making; racial and ethnic attitudes and the psychology of intergroup relations in unequal societies; personality and leadership; mass communication; public opinion and mass political behavior; and political socialization. In addition to providing a background in political psychology, the program trains students in the theory and methods useful to this field, such as content analysis, survey analysis, and experimental design. The faculty is drawn from across the University.