Module overview
This course introduces key theories and models in the study of political behaviour and political psychology and seeks to encourage students to develop a critical appreciation of how people develop their political beliefs and preferences, and how this affects their engagement in politics. The course is also designed to provide a practical and applied introduction to the study of political behaviour, applying theories to everyday political life and making use of the wealth of empirical data available on public opinion and political psychology. It deals with questions such as how people form their political beliefs and their attachments to political parties, how they evaluate political candidates and leaders, and why people do or don’t get involved in different forms of politics, be it voting, protest or civic action.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- Explain some of the determinants of political attitudes and the processes through which people form their opinions
- Demonstrate understanding of key theories in political behaviour
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Apply existing theoretical frameworks to explain contemporary examples of public opinion
- Recognise the different sorts of research methods that can help us identify and analyse political beliefs and behaviour
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Apply theories of political behaviour to empirical data relating to public psychology and political behaviour
Syllabus
This course considers some of the seminal contributions to modern political science and in the subfields of political behaviour and political psychology, addressing the following topics:
1. Mass Belief Systems
2. Partisanship
3. Political Socialisation
4. Information Processing, Heuristics and Choice
5. Communication, Framing and Biases
6. Voting Behaviour
7. Campaigns and Election Outcomes
8. Participation, Activism and Turnout
9. Trust in Government
10. Leaders, Approval and Competence
11. Macro Politics: Public Opinion and Policy
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
2 hours of lectures per week. All will be recorded and posted on Blackboard. Lectures will be delivered either face to face or online only depending upon University and Public Health England Guidance at the time. Total of 24 hours of lectures (2 hours per week X 12 weeks) per module.
Weekly student participation in online discussion boards. 1 hour per week delivered asynchronously. (1 hour X 12 weeks)
Type | Hours |
---|---|
Independent Study | 114 |
Teaching | 36 |
Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
General Resources
Lecture/seminar room with presentation equipment..
Other. Students will be encouraged to acquaint themselves with survey data from the British Social Attitudes Survey, British Election Study, American National Election Studies and other sources of information on political attitudes. They will be encouraged to relate ideas from the module to current events in politics, e.g. public opinion on particular issues, the public response to events. These sorts of material will also be relevant to the research project.
Internet Resources
Introduction to Political Psychology.
Journal Articles
Larry M. Bartels (1993). Messages Received: The Political Impact of Media Exposure. American Political Science Review, 87, pp. 267-285.
Jon A. Krosnick and Donald R. Kinder (1990). Altering the Foundations of Public Support for the President through Priming. American Political Science Review, 84, pp. 497-512.
Textbooks
Morris P. Fiorina (1981). Retrospective Voting in American National Elections. New Haven: Yale University Press.
James A. Stimson (2004). Tides of Consent: How Public Opinion Shapes American Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Donald Green, Bradley Palmquist, and Eric Schickler (2004). Partisan Hearts and Minds. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Russell J. Dalton and Hans-Dieter Klingemann (eds.). (2007). Oxford Handbook of Political Behavior. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
David O. Sears, Leonie Huddy, and Robert Jervis (2003). Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Shanto Iyengar and Donald Kinder (1987). News That Matters.. Chicago: Chicago University Press.
John Zaller (1992). The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion . Cambridge. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Paul M. Kellstedt, and Guy D. Whitten. (2013). The Fundamentals of Political Science Research. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Arthur Lupia, Mathew D. McCubbins, and Samuel L. Popkin (eds.). (2000). Elements of Reason: Cognition, Choice, and the Bounds of Rationality.. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Assessment
Assessment strategy
Assessment for this course will be through combination of a learning log and a research project.
50%: Assignment: a learning log, consisting of three 400 word discussion pieces of topics covered on the module.
50%: Research project, an individual report of the research project carried out by the group.
Resit will be by resubmission of the learning log and research project.
The research project is designed as an empirical analysis of political behaviour. This may employ either qualitative or quantitative methods, e.g. it may use descriptive/inferential statistics or undertake a case study of a particular event or set of events. Key is that you must make use of empirical data to test theories encountered on the course. You will make use of an existing dataset (e.g. the British Election Study) or with your group create your own data.
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Research proposal | 25% |
Discussion board activity | 25% |
Research project | 50% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Learning log | 50% |
Project report | 50% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Learning log | 50% |
Project report | 50% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External