Spring 2022  |  POL 3766 Section 001: Political Psychology of Mass Behavior (54552)

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
 
01/18/2022 - 05/02/2022
Mon, Fri 02:30PM - 03:45PM
UMTC, West Bank
West Bank Skyway AUDITORIUM
Enrollment Status:
Open (47 of 85 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/?cdmyers+POL3766+Spring2022
Class Description:

What do all citizens have in common? Although we are more divided than ever across partisan and ideological lines, we are, fundamentally, all human. This course reviews how several different aspects of human psychology influence public opinion and political behavior. How we discuss politics with others, our positions on major policy issues, the decision to vote in elections, and even how we interpret political information, are all shaped (at least in part) by psychological factors.


This course will cover seven broad thematic units. The first (1) focuses on the essential theories and methods underlying the study of political psychology, most generally. The remaining six describe how different aspects of psychology influence many aspects of public opinion and behavior, including: (2) personality traits, (3) emotion, (4) how we process political information, (5) core values and morality, (6) heritable and biological factors, and (7) how we identify with different groups in society. Along the way, we will relate core principles learned in each unit to central questions and challenges in political science more broadly; both in the U.S., and globally.
Grading:
15% - Attendance, Bi-Weekly "Discussion Tweets"
25% - Midterm Exam
25% - Election 2016 Analysis (Research Paper)
35% - Final Exam - 35%
Exam Format:
Both the Midterm and Final Exams will feature multiple choice and short answer questions (defining key concepts). The final exam will also include an essay question touching on major themes in the course. The final exam is cumulative.
Class Format:
50% lecture, 50% 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/54552/1223
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
16 March 2017

ClassInfo Links - Spring 2022 Political Science Classes

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