Political psychology A discipline with future

The Political psychology It is a specialty of psychology that scientifically studies behavioral practices of content and political function. More specifically, the Political psychology is aimed at studying political decision making and all that this implies. In addition, it has an eminent applied field.

Content

• Birth of political psychology
• The formal constitution of the new discipline
• What does a political psychologist? Intervention areas
  • Conclusions
  • Bibliography

Birth of political psychology

It was formally produced in the 70s of the last twentieth century in the US and Europe. Keep in mind that, most of the psychologists of this era had suffered the most diverse historical avatars: two world wars, the great depression, the cold war, the fall of the USSR, in addition to several economic crises and social conflicts. It is not surprising that many psychologists try to study these phenomena and give them an answer to them.

Examples of the above in the works of psychologists such as: Tolman (Drives Toward War), Skinner (Walden Dos), Maslow (The Authoritarian Character Structure) and Lasswell (Psychopathology and politics), But also from Osgood, Eysenk either Lewin (Garzón, 2008).

These works are nothing more than the reflection by trying to understand the socio -political phenomena and give them an answer from psychology. Without wanting it, they had laid the foundations of the new Political psychology.

The formal constitution of the new discipline

Initially, researchers who constitute this field of study work without having a group conscience. His investigations were unconnected, until little by little they were intertwined and forming a group.

In the case of international political psychology, this natural process has its highest point in the 30s. A period of events economic of wingspan (great depression), social (The mass society and its new culture) and also of the events politicians (The confrontation of political models, nations competition and the rise in ideologies).

It is the time when associations of psychologists committed to their environment appear, when the Society for the psychological study of social problems (SPSSI, Society for Psychological Study of Social Issues) and shortly after a magazine through which they spread and channel their ideas and contributions, the Journal of Social Issues (Garzón, 2008).

On the other side of the Atlantic, in Spain, in the Higher Research Council, the first studies of Political psychology, behavior and political preferences, A few years later, already in Francoist era. On the other hand, important researchers arise in this field such as J.L. Pinillos, j. Seoane, Rodríguez-Sanabra and Burgaleta.

However, it is not until 1978, in the US, where the discipline is decided to formalize. Thus, the International Society of Political Psychology (ISPP) and the first manuals are published in this regard.

What does a political psychologist? Intervention areas

According to Garzón (2008), there are 7 large areas that give rise to the professional activity of the political psychologist:

• Political ideologies and attitudes
• Personality and political leadership
• Political participation
• Social movements
• International Power and Relations
• Political socialization
• Media and Public Opinion

These and other areas, which appear, can be framed in a two -dimensional structure; The first policy and the second psychological. Political psychologists have formulated their professional intervention based on their way of understanding both dimensions, Garzón (2008).

The political dimension can be seen from two sensibilities, which are not incompatible, but different: politics as a power game, as an institution, or as a collective action of influence. If we talk about power, ideologies, their influence on attitudes and leadership are central themes. If we talk about civic policy, the issues are related to participation, socialization and the media, Garzón (2008).

The psychological dimension also presents two sensibilities: individual political behavior (where political personality and individual political behavior are primary issues) o Participatory behavior And, therefore, collective (conventional and unconventional participation, social movements and political action are now the relevant areas), Garzón (2008).

Conclusions

In short, psychologists are increasingly demanded to analyze and intervene in the areas of action of the discipline. In politics, the enormous source of power that supposes human behavior, emotion and cognition should not be ignored. That is, the knowledge of psychology applied to politics.

Bibliography

• Garzón Pérez, to. (2008). Theory and practice of political psychology. Psychological information, 93, 4-25.
• Garzón, a. (1988): Psychohistory and political psychology. In j. Seoane and a. Rodríguez (eds.): Political psychology. Madrid; Pyramid, Cap.10, 279-305
• Garzón, a. (1993): Political psychology in Spain. Psychology Bulletin, no. 39, 35-65
• Garzón, a. (2001): Political Psychology as Discipline and Resource. Political Psychology, Vol. 22, nº2, 347-356.
• Hermann, m. (Ed.) (1986). Psychology Political. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
• Knutson, J. M. (Ed.) (1973): Handbook of Political Psychology. Jossey Bass.
• Lasswell, h. D. (1948): Power and Person. New York: Norton
• Pinillos, j. L. (1963): Analysis of the F scale in a Spanish sample. General and applied psychology, 18, 1155-1174.
• Rodríguez Sanabra, F.(1963): Spanish regional stereotypes. General and applied psychology, 68-69, 763-771.
• Sears, d.EITHER.- Huddy, l.- Jervis, r. (EDS) (2003): Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology. New York: Oxford University Oxford Press.
• Seoane, J. - Rodríguez, a. (1988): Political Psychology. Madrid: Pyramid.