Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Summer 2019 - PSYC 391 D300

Selected Topics in Psychology (3)

Political Psychology

Class Number: 5591

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    May 6 – Aug 2, 2019: Thu, 11:30 a.m.–2:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Aug 8, 2019
    Thu, 12:00–2:00 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    PSYC 201. Other prerequisites vary by topic offering.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Course can be repeated for credit. Students may not take this course for further credit if similar topics are covered. See Psychology department website for course description.

COURSE DETAILS:

This course is about the intersection of the political and the psychological. We will examine the bidirectional relationship between politics and psychology. First, the course acts as a primer in political psychology, which is the application of what is known about human psychology to the study of politics. We will examine theoretical perspectives and their corresponding evidence for a range of important topics including the origins of political ideology, the role of emotion and identity in elections, the processes of radicalization, political polarization, and affinities for fake news and science denial. Second, we will also examine the role of politics in psychology. Social scientists have long known that political beliefs bias the way people think about, understand, and interpret the world around them. We will explore how political biases can influence the scientific process. These include how political biases influence the acceptability of topics, the development of hypotheses, study design, construct development and measurement, and the interpretation of evidence.

Grading

  • Oral Presentation: 30%
  • Research Paper: 30%
  • Brief Response Papers: 20%
  • Final Exam: 20%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

This course will involve weekly readings, which will include articles and the following short book:
Crawford, J.T. & Jussim, L. (2018). The politics of social psychology. New York, NY: Routledge

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS