"Political psychology is an interdisciplinary academic field, dedicated to understanding politics, politicians and political behavior from a psychological perspective, and psychological processes using socio-political perspectives."
The understanding of how emotions are experienced, expressed, and used in political contexts, and how they shape attitudes and behavior.
Emotional intelligence: The ability to identify, understand and manage one's own emotions as well as those of others, is essential to understand the role of emotions in politics.
Moral emotions: These are emotions related to moral principles, like anger, guilt, remorse, and indignation. These emotions play a crucial role in shaping political attitudes and behavior.
Emotion regulation: The process by which individuals manage their emotions to adapt to changing political environments.
Emotional contagion: The process by which emotions spread from one person to another in a political environment.
Political ideology: The set of political beliefs and values that individuals hold, which can be influenced by emotions.
Political polarization: The increasing divide between political groups, which can be exacerbated by emotions.
Emotional intelligence and leadership: The ability to understand and manage emotions is essential for effective political leadership.
Political communication and emotions: The role of emotions in political communication and how they can influence individuals' perceptions of political messages.
Group identity and emotions: How emotions shape group identity and how this can affect political behavior.
Attitudes towards political issues: How emotions can shape individuals' attitudes towards political issues.
Political participation and emotions: How emotions can affect political participation, including voting and protests.
Social movements and emotions: How emotions play a crucial role in the formation and success of social movements.
Political violence and emotions: The role of emotions in political violence, including terrorism, war, and genocide.
Emotional appeals in politics: The use of emotions to persuade or manipulate individuals in political campaigns and messaging.
Cultural differences in emotional expression: How cultural background can impact emotional expression, which can affect political attitudes and behavior.
Neuroscience and emotions: Recent research on how the brain processes emotions and its implications for political psychology.
Emotions and public policy: The influence of emotions on public policy outcomes, including laws and regulations.
Emotions and international relations: The role of emotions in shaping international conflicts, diplomacy, and cooperation.
Anger: Anger is an intense emotion that arises when people feel they have been wronged or when their values are violated. In politics, anger can fuel activism and mobilization.
Fear: Fear is a powerful emotion that arises when people perceive threats to their safety or security. Fear can be used by political actors to justify policy decisions and mobilize support from their base.
Disgust: Disgust is an emotion that arises in response to things that are unpleasant or repulsive. In politics, disgust can be used to dehumanize political opponents or cast them as morally repugnant.
Empathy: Empathy is an emotion that arises when people feel others' pain or suffering. In politics, empathy can drive social movements and calls for policy change.
Hope: Hope is an optimistic emotion that arises when people perceive a positive outcome is possible. In politics, hope can motivate people to engage in political action and work towards a better future.
Sadness: Sadness is a negative emotion that arises in response to loss or disappointment. In politics, sadness can lead to political apathy or disengagement.
Envy: Envy is a complex emotion that arises when people feel other people have something they lack. In politics, envy can perpetuate social and economic inequality and drive political polarization.
Pride: Pride is a positive emotion that arises when people feel a sense of accomplishment or status. In politics, pride can drive nationalist sentiment and support for militarization.
Guilt: Guilt is a negative emotion that arises when people feel responsible for harming others or violating ethical norms. In politics, guilt can lead to advocacy for restorative justice and accountability.
Shame: Shame is a negative emotion that arises when people feel exposed or judged by others. In politics, shame can be used to delegitimize marginalized groups and perpetuate oppression.
"The relationship between politics and psychology is considered bidirectional, with psychology being used as a lens for understanding politics and politics being used as a lens for understanding psychology."
"Political psychology borrows from a wide range of disciplines, including anthropology, economics, history, international relations, journalism, media, philosophy, political science, psychology, and sociology."
"Political psychology aims to understand interdependent relationships between individuals and contexts that are influenced by beliefs, motivation, perception, cognition, information processing, learning strategies, socialization and attitude formation."
"Political psychological theory and approaches have been applied in many contexts such as: leadership role; domestic and foreign policy making; behavior in ethnic violence, war and genocide; group dynamics and conflict; racist behavior; voting attitudes and motivation; voting and the role of the media; nationalism; and political extremism."
"In essence, political psychologists study the foundations, dynamics, and outcomes of political behavior using cognitive and social explanations."