Political Psychology

1. Explain the core concepts and theories of political psychology.
2. Analyze the psychological factors that influence political behavior.
3. Evaluate the role of personality in leadership and decision-making.
4. Assess the impact of public opinion on political processes.
5. Understand the dynamics of elections and electoral behavior.
6. Apply psychological principles to the analysis of foreign policy.

13 weeks, about 32 hours in total. Yours will differ.

1. Week 1Module 1: Meaning and Nature of Political Psychology

   • Unit 1: What is the Idea of Political Psychology? · 2 hours

     Read the introduction to Political Psychology.. Understand David Easton's perspective on politics.. Explore the definition of Political Psychology and its focus on human thought processes, feelings, and motivations..

2. Week 2Module 1: Meaning and Nature of Political Psychology

   • Unit 2: Methods Adopted in the study of Political Psychology · 2 hours

     Examine the scientific method approach in political psychology.. Identify and understand variables that influence behavior.. Explore the features of experimenting, including manipulation of independent variables and control over extraneous variables..

3. Week 3Module 1: Meaning and Nature of Political Psychology

   • Unit 3: Historical Perspectives of Political Psychology · 2 hours

     Explore the origin of political psychology and its development as an academic discipline.. Examine Grundy's argument on national behavior and the impact of faulty political psychology.. Understand the different eras of development in political psychology, focusing on research interests and landmark developments..

4. Week 4Module 1: Meaning and Nature of Political Psychology

   • Unit 4: Components of the Political Being · 2 hours

     Understand the core components of the Political Being: personality, values, attitudes, emotions, and cognitive processes.. Examine the interplay between these components and their influence on political thinking and feeling.. Explore the role of values and identity in shaping political predispositions..

5. Week 5Module 1: Meaning and Nature of Political Psychology

   • Unit 5: The Political Being in a Social and Political Environment · 2 hours

     Explore the interaction between the individual and the political environment.. Understand social identity and its impact on political behavior.. Examine the concepts of in-groups and out-groups and their relevance to political psychology..

6. Week 6Module 2: Personality and Its Approaches

   • Unit 1: Personality: What does it constitute? · 2 hours

     Define personality from psychological, political, and political psychology perspectives.. Discuss the relevance of personality in politics and identify politically relevant personality characteristics.. Understand the idiographic and nomothetic views of personality..

7. Week 7Module 2: Personality and Its Approaches

   • Unit 2: Psycho-Analytic/Dynamic Theory · 2 hours

     Review the psycho-analytic or psychodynamic theory.. Examine the concepts of the conscious and unconscious mind and their influence on behavior.. Understand the three components of personality: id, ego, and superego..

8. Week 8Module 2: Personality and Its Approaches

   • Unit 3: Psycho-biographies/Psycho-Biographical Method · 2 hours

     Explore the psycho-biographical method for analyzing political figures.. Examine the childhood socialization experiences of political leaders.. Study classic examples of psycho-biographies, such as Woodrow Wilson and Nelson Mandela..

9. Week 9Module 2: Personality and Its Approaches

   • Unit 4: Analysing Psycho-Pathologies of Political Leaders · 2 hours

     Analyze psycho-pathologies of political leaders.. Examine personality disorders, such as neuroticism, narcissism, and paranoia.. Understand the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for selected personality disorders..

10. Week 10Module 2: Personality and Its Approaches

    • Unit 5: Personality Trait Theories · 2 hours

      Explore personality trait theories and their application in political psychology.. Understand the Big Five personality dimensions: neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness.. Examine personality assessment measures..

11. Week 11Module 3: Manifestations of Psychological Theories in Leadership, Power and Politics

    • Unit 1: Explaining Power · 2 hours

      Define the concept of power in political science.. Explore different forms of power: political, economic, military, and physical.. Understand the nexus between power and politics..

    • Unit 2: Political Culture · 2 hours

      Define political culture and its influence on political behavior.. Identify different types of political culture: parochial, subject, and participant.. Assess political culture in Nigeria..

12. Week 12Module 3: Manifestations of Psychological Theories in Leadership, Power and Politics

    • Unit 3: Public Opinion · 2 hours

      Define public opinion and its role in a democratic society.. Examine the elements of public opinion: issues, communication, perceptions of reality, and demographic characteristics.. Explore different means of measuring public opinion: sample surveys, elections, interest groups, media, and protests..

    • Unit 4: Political Information Processing and Decision-Making · 2 hours

      Explore the processing of political information and its impact on decision-making.. Understand the factors that influence judgment and decision-making: religion, economic factors, ethnicity, and environment.. Examine the role of domestic and foreign environments in decision-making..

13. Week 13Module 4: Elections and Electoral Behaviour

    • Unit 5: Perceptions and Foreign Policy · 2 hours

      Define foreign policy and its objectives.. Examine the factors that influence foreign policy decision-making: type of government, perceptions of leaders, and national interest.. Understand the role of domestic and external determinants in shaping foreign policy..

    • Unit 1: Understanding Elections · 2 hours

      Define elections and their nexus with democracy.. Examine the factors that influence electoral behavior: religion, ethnicity, education, and personality.. Understand the role of electoral agencies in conducting free and fair elections..