Course Syllabus
Psychology of Political Behavior |
 |
| Semester & Location: |
Fall 2025 - DIS Stockholm |
| Type & Credits: |
Elective Course - 3 credits |
| Prerequisite: |
One psychology course at university level. |
| Faculty: |
Steve Turner (current students please use the Canvas Inbox) |
| Program Contact: |
Department email address psy.cns@dis.dk |
| Time & Place: |
Time: Mondays & Thursdays 16:25-17:45 Classroom: C 502 |
Course Description
This course emphasizes the psychological mechanisms affecting political reasoning and behavior, such as how psychological biases affect our cognition, information-processing, and political behavior. Comparisons between U.S. and Swedish political contexts are explored, specifically examining how the political mind is embedded in social frameworks. This course is based on theory and research from the field of political psychology, an interdisciplinary academic field studying the relationships between psychological and political processes.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, students are expected
- To understand and describe principles and concepts related to political cognition such as information processing, decision-making, and perception.
- To understand the ways in which moral psychology shapes political orientation and conflict
- To apply theory and analyze political phenomena in daily life from a psychological perspective.
- To critically evaluate scientific methods and research within the field of political psychology.
- To contrast and consider cultural differences between American and European political contexts.
- To understand the dominant political ideologies in Sweden and how they differ from the US
- To develop a nuanced understanding of how evolutionary forces - both biological and cultural - influence our political orientations and behavior
- To further develop essential skills – in analytical thinking and in both oral and written presentation - that are vital not only in navigating academic studies, but in flourishing in the game of life.
Faculty
Steve Turner
DIS Stockholm Faculty
M.A. in Political Sociology, Harvard University. Extensive teaching experience in comparative politics, globalization, the welfare state, and multiculturalism. Works as a Leadership Consultant, bringing the lessons from modern psychology and neuroscience to the world of business. Also an avid squash player and kayaker. With DIS since 2016.
Readings
Core Readings
Books
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow
Haidt, J. (2012). The righteous mind: Why good people are divided by politics and religion. Vintage.
Supplementary Readings
Duarte, J. L., Crawford, J. T., Stern, C., Haidt, J., Jussim, L., & Tetlock, P. E. (2015) Political diversity will improve social psychological science. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 38, e130.
Haidt, Jonathan. (2022) "Why the Past 10 Years of American Life have been Uniquely Stupid". The Atlantic
Hawkins, S., Yudkin, D. & Juan-Torres, M. (2018) Hidden Tribes: A Study of America's Polarized Landscape. More In Common
Huddy, L., Sears, D. & Levy. J. (2013) Introduction: Theoretical Foundations of Political Psychology. The Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology (2nd ed.), eds. Leonie Huddy, David O. Sears, and Jack S. LevyJost, J.
JT Jost. (2006) The end of the end of ideology. American Psychologist, 61(7), 651.
Kolbert, E. (2017 February 27) Why facts don’t change our minds: New Discoveries about the human mind show the limitations of reason. The New Yorker.
Lyengar, S., & Westwood, S. J. (2015) Fear and loathing across party lines: New evidence on group polarization. American Journal of Political Science,59(3), 690-707.
PEW Research Center. (n.d.) Political Polarization in the American Public
Rauch, J. (2016 July/August) How American Politics Went insane. The Atlantic.
Movies and other media
Harari, Yuval. "Th Bright Side of Nationalism"
Netflix: "The Social Dilemma"
Haidt, J. (2014 November 21) The Moral Psychology of Political Polarization: Many Causes and a Few Possible Responses [Lecture]. www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OnTTWkAv_E
Robert Sapolsky: The Biology of Good and Evil
Haidt, J. (2008) The moral roots of liberals and conservatives. [TED talk]. Retrieved from www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_haidt_on_the_moral_mind
Haidt, J. (2016, August 9) Why the Centre Cannot Hold in America, Europe, and Psychology [Blogpost and video lecture.] Retrieved from http://heterodoxacademy.org/2016/08/09/why-the-centre-cannot-hold/
Zimbardo, P. (2008, February) The Psychology of Evil [TED talk]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/philip_zimbardo_on_the_psychology_of_evil
Recommended Readings
Articles
.
Field Studies
1. Wednesday, October 1: 9:00-12:00 A visit to the Swedish Riksdag (Parliament). We will have a guided tour and meet with a Member of Parliament.
2. Wednesday, November 12: 9:00 - 12:00. A visit to a Swedish High School
Approach to Teaching
My approach to teaching is based on a core assumption: Learning is a collective endeavor in which the contribution of each individual has an impact on how much is learned overall. Lectures can serve a valuable purpose both in providing useful information and in stimulating creative thought. But genuine learning takes place only when the student takes an active role –in reading carefully, thinking critically, in raising questions and objections, and in listening to others. It is only through engaged dialogue that we have the capacity to enrich our understanding of the world. My expectation is that students will actively engage in the learning process, both inside and outside the classroom.
The course utilizes a variety of pedagogical methods, including lectures, discussions, student presentations, and study visits. There is a strong emphasis on discussion and student participation. Everyone is expected to not only complete the readings for each class, but to come to class well prepared to engage in discussion.
Attendance at all lectures and field studies is mandatory.
Note that it is important to check your e-mail and DIS Canvas regularly since outlines, exam info etc. will be distributed here.
Expectations of the Students
Students are expected to have done the readings and come prepared with relevant questions and notes for each class. This will give us material to generate conversation. When responding to questions in class, make reference to our readings to support the points you are making. Students are expected to challenge themselves and their worldviews with an investigative mindset and curiosity, seeking to understand the topics at hand as well as how they relate to themselves as individuals and the world around them.
A Word on Laptops in the Classroom
The default policy for this class is NO laptops in the classroom. Both academic research and personal experience have shown laptops (and smartphones) to be an enormous source of distraction and an impediment to engaged discussion as well as learning. Thank you for your understanding.
Grading
|
Methods of Evaluation |
How evaluated |
Percentage of grade |
|
Pre-class Preparation |
Canvas Quiz |
35% |
|
Attendance/Engaged participation |
Individual |
25% |
|
Mid-term Take Home Exam |
Individual |
25% |
|
Final Project: Reflections on Political Psychology |
Individual |
15% |
|
Total |
|
100% |
Pre-class Prep :
Prior to most class sessions, you will complete a short Canvas quiz based on the readings and concepts addressed in class.
Attendance/Engaged Participation:
Your participation grade reflects the importance of being active in this course, which relies in great part on the reflections, discussions, and exercises in class. Students are expected to come prepared with relevant questions for discussion pertaining to the topic, as well as making contributions with relevant analytical insights and critical evaluations. The participation grade also takes into consideration punctuality.
Mid-term Take Home Exam:
There will be a take-home exam covering the theories and concepts that have been discussed so far in the course.
Final Project: Reflections on Political Psychology
You are free to write an essay or use bullet points. (An essay can be valuable if you need to submit an example of your writing.)
But if you want to get creative, go for it. You could, for example:
- Do a mind map (with or without audio)
- Do a slide presentation with audio
- Do a video or a podcast, maybe a discussion with a peer or a Swede
- Surprise me
To be eligible for a passing grade in this class you must complete all of the assigned work.
Academic Accommodations
Your learning experience in this class is important to me. If you have approved academic accommodations with DIS, please make sure I receive your DIS accommodations letter within two weeks from the start of classes. If you can think of other ways I can support your learning, please don't hesitate to talk to me. If you have any further questions about your academic accommodations, contact Academic Support acadsupport@disstockholm.se
Academic Regulations
Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:
DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org
Course Summary:
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