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Course Code: 
PSIR 424
Course Type: 
Elective
P: 
3
Application: 
0
Credits: 
3
ECTS: 
5
Course Language: 
İngilizce
Course Objectives: 

This course aims to help students to have a better understanding of the political world from the lens of political psychology, a field at the intersection of political science and social psychology. By using different types of methods in political psychology, this course teaches psychological theories that help us understand how people think and feel about politics.

Course Content: 

This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to understand how people think and feel about politics. The primary goal of this course is to acquaint the student with various ways in which psychological theory contributes to the understanding of politics and vice versa. One feature that makes political psychology particularly important to study is that it speaks to so many aspects of political phenomena – from Turkish politics to comparative studies to international relations. In this class, we will consider how politics works at the micro level – within the minds of both political elites and average citizens. Course objectives include the following tasks: to become more knowledgeable about the field of political psychology-its definition, its various domains of study, and its methodologies; to examine the impact of personality on political behavior; to become familiar with the role of social cognition, social influences, and social relations in political behavior; to examine the myriad of actors involved in the political psychology of groups; to become familiar with the various psychological and political factors influencing voting behavior; to explore the political psychology of race and ethnicity; to examine the impact of political psychology as it is related to broader international concerns such as nationalism, extremism, and conflict. Overall, the course will advance student’s knowledge of the political world by introducing interdisciplinary approaches and theoretical debates. 

Course Methodology: 
: Lecture, 2: Question-Answer, 3: Discussion
Course Evaluation Methods: 
A: Exam, B: Experiment, C: Homework

Vertical Tabs

Course Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes Program Learning Outcomes Teaching Methods Assessment Methods
Learn the fundamental principles of political psychology 1,2,3 1,2,3 A,C
Learn more about the research methods used in the field 3 1,2,3 A,C
Develop background on historical development of the field  4,5,6 1,2,3 A,C
Evaluate the effect of the media on political behavior  7 1,2,3 A,C
Describe the point of origin of emotions and their effects on political behavior 9 1,2,3 A,C
Identify the basis of group conflict and comment on the contemporary rise of far-right ideologies 10,11  1,2,3 A,C
Learn about the individual determinants of terrorism  12 1,2,3 A,C
Describe how social networks emerge and affect the individual behavior  13 1,2,3 A,C
Understand individual and psychological bases of the current populist movements 14 1,2,3 A,C

 

Course Flow

COURSE CONTENT
Week Topics Study Materials
1 Introduction to Political Psychology Jost and Sidanius – Political Psychology: An Introduction.
2 History of Political Psychology Jost and Sidanius - Reading 1;

Erişen, C. (2013) “The Political Psychology of Turkish Political Behavior: Intro by the Special Issue Editor” Turkish Studies14(1): 1-12.

3 Research Methods in Political Psychology Erişen, C., Erişen E., and Özkeçeci-Taner, B. “Research Methods in Political Psychology” Turkish Studies14(1): 13-33; Erişen, C. (2013) “Deneysel Yöntem” P. Uyan Semerci ve E. Erdoğan (Eds.), Farklı Pencereler Farklı Manzaralar: Sosyal Bilimlerde Yöntem Tartışmaları (121-146 pp.), İstanbul, Hiperlink; McDermott, Rose. 2002. “Experimental Methodology in Political Science.” Political Analysis 10:325- 342.
4 Personality - Elites Jost and Sidanius - Reading 5 (F.I. Greenstein) and Reading 6 (D.G. Winter); Weintraub, W. & Winter, D.G. (2003) “Saddam Hussein: Personality traits and motivational biases.” In Post, Jerrold M., ed. The psychological assessment of political leaders. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan; pp. 367-374.
5 Personality - Individuals Jost and Sidanius - Reading 3 (R.M. Doty, B.E. Peterson, and D.G. Winter) and Reading 4 (B. Altemeyer); P. Houghton, Political Psychology, Chapters 4-5
6 Ideologies and Biology  Jost and Sidanius - Reading 11 (P.J. Conover and S. Feldman) and Reading 12 (R.E. Lane); Arıkan, G. (2013) “Values, Religiosity and Support for Redistribution and Social Policy in Turkey” Turkish Studies14(1): 34-52; Carkoglu, A. (2007) “The Nature of Left-Right Ideological Self-placement in the Turkish Context.” Turkish Studies, 8(2): 253–271; Charney, E. (2008) Genes and Ideologies. Perspectives on Politics 6(2): 292-319
7 Media and Framing Jost and Sidanius - Reading 7 (S. Iyengar, M.D. Peters, and D.R. Kinder) and Reading 8 (J.A. Krosnick and D.R. Kinder); S. Iyengar and D.R. Kinder, News that Matters, Chapters 8 and 9 (pp.73-89); T. Brader (2006) Campaigning for Hearts and Minds, Chapter 4
8 Midterm  
9 Emotions Jost and Sidanius - Reading 9 (G.E. Marcus and M.C. MacKuen); P. Houghton, Political Psychology, Chapters 10-11; Erişen, C. (2013) “Emotions as a Determinant in Turkish Political Behavior” Turkish Studies14(1): 115-; T. Brader and G.E. Marcus, Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology, Chapter 6
10 Prejudice, Group Identity and Conflict Jost and Sidanius - Reading 16 (H. Tajfel and J.C. Turner) and Reading 18 (J. Sidanius and F. Pratto); Karakoc, E. (2013) “Ethnicity and Trust in National and International Institutions” Turkish Studies14(1): 92-114; Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology, Chapter7
11 Racism and Xenophobia Jost and Sidanius - Reading 19 (L. Bobo) and Reading 20 (D. Sears, C. van Laar, M. Carillo ve R. Kosterman); C Kinnvall and P Nesbitt-Larking (2011) The Political Psychology of Globalization, Chapter 2; Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology, Chapter 8.
12 Terrorism and Ethnic Conflict
Jost and Sidanius - Reading 22 (M. Crenshaw); P. Houghton (2009) Political Psychology, Chapter 15; Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology, Chapter 9
13 Social Networks and Social Movements Jost and Sidanius - Reading 23 (H. Eckstein) and Reading 24 (B. Simon and B. Klandermans); R.J. Dalton, (2008) Citizen Politics, Chapter 4; Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology, Chapter 13
14 Populism  Hawkins and et.al. (2019) Ideational Study of Populism. Routledge; Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology, Chapter 15
15 Review  
16 Final Examination  

 

Recommended Sources

SOURCES
Textbook Jost, J. T. & Sidanius, J. (2004). Political Psychology: Key Readings. New York: Psychology Press. 

 

Huddy, L., Sears, D.O., and Levy, J.S. (2013) Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology. Oxford University Press.

Additional Resources  

Houghton, D. P. (2009) Political Psychology: Situations, Individuals, and Cases. New York: Routledge.

 

Material Sharing

 

 

Assessment

ASSESSMENT
IN-TERM STUDIES NUMBER PERCENTAGE
Midterm 1 % 30
Participation 1 % 10
Homework 3 % 20
Total   100
Contribution Of Final Examination To Overall Grade   % 30
Contribution Of In-Term Studies To Overall Grade   % 70
Total   100

 

Course’s Contribution to Program

COURSE'S CONTRIBUTION TO PROGRAM
No Program Learning Outcomes Contribution
1 2 3 4 5  
1 Students will demonstrate their comprehensive knowledge of the basic concepts and theories of Political Science and International Relations as well as other related disciplines such as Law, Economics and Sociology.       X    
2 Students will interpret the structure, institutions and operation of national, international and supranational entities via utilization of the concepts and theories of Political Science and International relations and produce project reports that include possible solutions to problems of such institutions when necessary.    X        
3 Students will demonstrate that they have developed a comparative, analytical and interdisciplinary approach vis-à-vis human societies and political systems.       X    
4 Students will have improved their skills and awareness of personal responsibility and team membership through conducting group or independent research projects, doing internships and producing their graduation dissertations.       X    
5 Students will demonstrate proficiency in quantitative and qualitative data collections methods.     X      
6 Students will prove their understanding of the rapidly-evolving dynamics of national and global environments requires  constant self-assessment, life-long learning, and the ability to formulate innovative solutions to maintain their personal and professional development.       X    
7 Students should be able to critically evaluate the body of knowledge in political science, assess self-competency and direct self-learning efforts accordingly.         X  
8 Students will implement written and oral communication skills in English and Turkish in both academic and professional settings.        X    
9 Students should be able to effectively demonstrate their knowledge of written, oral and reading skills in English both in international institutional settings and follow and interpret the global dynamics of the International Relations discipline.     X      
10 Students will demonstrate their social skills and experience required by public or private institutions or in the academia.        X    
11 Students will show empathy and respect towards societies other than one’s own.         X  
12 Students should be able to effectively utilize computer and information technologies commonly-used in the social sciences.   X        
13 Students will interpret domestic and international developments and express opinions, having acquired advanced knowledge and proficiency in the via communication with international scholars and students.       X    
14 Students will respect personal, social and academic ethical norms.       X    
15 Students should understand the personal, social, and ecological dimensions of social responsibility, and show duties of active and global citizenship.   X        
16 Students should know that universality of social-political and legal rights and social justice are the principle components of contemporary society, and that scientific thinking is an essential prerequisite for maintaining social advancement and global competitiveness.         X  

 

ECTS

ECTS ALLOCATED BASED ON STUDENT WORKLOAD BY THE COURSE DESCRIPTION
Activities Quantity Duration
(Hour) 		Total
Workload
(Hour)
Course Duration (Including the exam week: 16x Total course hours) 15 3 45
Hours for off-the-classroom study (Pre-study, practice) 15 15 225
Mid-terms 1 10 10
Homework 3 5 15
Final examination 1 10 10
Total Work Load     125
Total Work Load / 25 (h)     5
ECTS Credit of the Course     5

 

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