Spring 2020  |  POL 3766 Section 001: Political Psychology of Mass Behavior (54196)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person Term Based
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
01/21/2020 - 05/04/2020
Mon, Wed 01:00PM - 02:15PM
UMTC, West Bank
Blegen Hall 250
Enrollment Status:
Closed (84 of 83 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
How political behavior of citizens and political elites is shaped by psychological factors, including personality, attitudes, values, emotions, and cognitive sophistication. Political activism/apathy, leadership charisma, mass media, group identifications, political culture.
Class Notes:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?POL3766+Spring2020
Class Description:

This course reviews how several different aspects of human psychology influence public opinion and political behavior at the mass level. How we discuss politics with others, our positions on major policy issues, the decision to vote in elections, how we interpret political information, and more, are all shaped (at least in part) by psychological factors.


Over the term, we will cover several different aspects of political psychology, including various theoretical underpinnings, personality, partisanship and other forms of identity, morality, media and misinformation, and neurological and evolutionary factors, among other topics. Along the way, we will relate core principles learned in each unit to central questions and challenges in political science more broadly.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn the various theoretical frameworks in political psychology, how they are tested empirically, and how they are applied to various political phenomena and outcomes.


• Evaluate research critically and identify alternative explanations.


• Think about social science phenomena in an interdisciplinary manner.
Grading:
10% - Pop quizzes
20% - Exam 1
20% - Exam 2
20% - Exam 3
10% - Final paper outline
20% - Final paper
Exam Format:
The exams in this class will be a combination of multiple choice and short answer questions. Each exam will be non-cumulative.
Class Format:
A mixture of lecture and discussion.
Workload:
In addition to regular class attendance and completion of the exams/paper, students are expected to complete a short set of readings about relevant research and concepts prior to each class.
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/54196/1203
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
26 November 2019

ClassInfo Links - Spring 2020 Political Science Classes

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