Political Psychology is a scientific discipline that examines the psychological origins and reflections of political issues within a framework that extends from individuals' emotions, thoughts and behaviours to the social attitudes that form large group identities and from there to political life. The most distinctive feature of this discipline is its interdisciplinary character, encompassing many scientific fields ranging from psychology and political science to social anthropology, history, sociology, communication, law, international relations, and theology. It is concerned with topics such as international relations' psychopolitical analyses, as well as field studies focusing on large group identity, leadership studies, political traumas, conflict analysis and resolution. The field of Political Psychology focuses on the fault lines that unite and divide the political terrain, social identities, conflicts and alliances. The discipline of Political Psychology is historical and root-oriented due to its tendency to examine the psychological causes of social fractures from a psychoanalytical perspective. Just as an individual is subjected to psychoanalysis, societies are also subjected to an assessment of the traumatic and defining events in their memories and the accumulated experiences of their past. It seeks to identify causalities and recurring practices.
What Are the Areas of Study in Political Psychology?
Political Psychology has a very broad scope of application. It is closely related not only to Political Science and Psychology but also to fields such as social anthropology, history, sociology, psychiatry, international relations, economics, art, and philosophy. Beyond current topics such as conflict resolution, peace processes, civil wars, terrorism, political elections, and leadership analyses, it also addresses broader and more profound issues such as the formation of national identities through selected victories and traumas, the psychological effects of social change, the formation of large group identities, and the origins of ethnic and sectarian divisions.
Examples of research in this field include the following topics:
- The formation and dynamics of large group identities; mass psychology
- Selected victories and traumas; mourning and healing
- Migration and migration psychology; psychological breaking points of locals and migrants
- Ethnic identities; the distinction between self and other
- The psychological foundations of terrorism
- The psychological motivations of leaders and the psychology of followers
- The psychodynamics of political, economic and technological developments
- Civil wars, genocide, massacres
- The ways in which mass media influence social psychology
- Public diplomacy and psychological tools; propaganda