POLI 100M: Poli-cal Psychology Lecture 2: Individual Differences Taylor N. Carlson Beenstr@ucsd.edu
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Last Time Syllabus overview What is poli-cal psychology? Why do we study it? The components of the Poli-cal Being How do we study poli-cal psychology? Surveys Psychophysiological data Experiments (lab and field) Correla-on Causa-on
What ques-ons do you have?
Today: Driving Ques-ons How do individual psychological or biological differences impact poli-cal behavior? Personality Gene-cs Psychophysiology Why should we care about individual differences as they relate to poli-cal behavior?
Today: Learning Outcomes 1. Iden-fy the Big 5 Personality Characteris-cs 2. Iden-fy some of the key forms of poli-cal behavior that correlate with different personality types and explain the intui-on behind these correla-ons 3. List some poli-cal behaviors and abtudes that correlate with gene-cs 4. Iden-fy the main psychophysiological measures used to study poli-cal behavior and why they are useful 5. Describe some of the rela-onships between psychophysiology and poli-cal behavior 6. Evaluate why we should care about individual differences in personality, psychophysiology, and gene-cs as they relate to poli-cal behavior
Personality
What is personality? Many defini-ons! Important and rela-vely stable aspects of a person that account for consistent paperns of behavior that may be observable or unobservable, conscious or unconscious In poli-cal psychology, we re mainly interested in how personality traits predict poli-cal behaviors and abtudes Par-sanship Vote choice Whether to vote or par-cipate in poli-cs Informa-on seeking Engagement in poli-cal discussions Many more!
What is personality? Important and rela-vely stable aspects of a person that account for consistent paperns of behavior that may be observable or unobservable, conscious or unconscious Broad defini-on! Want to think about more concrete traits that we can use to describe and predict behavior What traits have you heard of?
The Big Five 1. Openness to Experience 2. Conscien-ousness 3. Extraversion 4. Agreeableness 5. Neuro-cism
Source: Boundless. "The Five-Factor Model." Boundless Psychology Boundless, 20 Sep. 2016. Retrieved 12 Jul. 2017 from hpps://www.boundless.com/psychology/textbooks/boundless-psychology-textbook/personality-16/trait-perspec-ves-onpersonality-79/the-five-factor-model-311-12846/
Openness What poli-cal behaviors or abtudes are linked to openness? Conserva-ve/Republican Less engagement Seek less informa-on Par-cipate less in poli-cal discussions Pay less apen-on Less poli-cally knowledgeable Less opinionated Liberal/Democrat More engagement Seek more informa-on Par-cipate more in poli-cal discussions Pay more apen-on More poli-cally knowledgeable More opinionated
Conscien-ousness What poli-cal behaviors or abtudes are linked to conscien-ousness? Liberal/Democrat More poli-cal knowledge Par-cipate more in poli-cal discussions Conserva-ve/Republican Low poli-cal knowledge Par-cipate less in poli-cal discussion
Extraversion What poli-cal behaviors or abtudes are linked to extraversion? Watch the news less Less opinionated Par-cipate less in poli-cal discussions Par-cipate more in individual poli-cal ac-vi-es Watch the news more More opinionated Par-cipate more in poli-cal discussions Par-cipate more in social poli-cal ac-vi-es
Agreeableness What poli-cal behaviors or abtudes are linked to agreeableness? High poli-cal knowledge Pay more apen-on to poli-cs More opinionated More engaged Par-cipate more in poli-cal discussions Don t support welfare policies Don t support interna-onal coopera-on Low poli-cal knowledge Pay less apen-on to poli-cs Less opinionated Less engaged Par-cipate less in poli-cal discussions Support welfare policies Support interna-onal coopera-on
Neuro-cism What poli-cal behaviors or abtudes are linked to neuro-cism? More collec-ve ac-on Slightly more conserva-ve/republican Less opinionated Less collec-ve ac-on Slightly more liberal/ Democra-c More opinionated
The Big Five Summary Openness and Extraversion have the strongest influences over poli-cal outcomes Agreeableness, conscien-ousness, and neuro-cism influence some behaviors, but generally are inconsistent
Other Personality Traits Poli-cal psychologists also examine other personality characteris-cs, such as: Social anxiety Authoritarianism Conflict avoidance Willingness to self-censor Need for cogni-on The Big Five are s-ll the main focus
Ques-ons?
5 minute break
Biopoli-cs Gene-cs, Psychophysiology, and Poli-cs
Why Biology? Broadly, why do we do what we do? What makes us who we are? Nature vs. Nurture Both biology and our environment influence poli-cal behaviors
An Evolu-onary Theory of Poli-cal Behavior Allows for the combina-on of familial socializa-on, cultural norms, environmental s-muli, ra-onal ac-on, and endogenous or innate influences (Hatemi & McDermoP 2011) Allows us to predict how individuals vary in their poli-cal behavior Biological and Environmental factors work together
Gene-cs
Gene-cs: Some Background Gene: the func-onal and physical unit of heredity passed from parent to offspring Video Clip: American Society of Human Gene-cs Many human traits (height, hair color, eye color) can be inherited from parents Complex traits are impacted by both genes and the environment
Example: Height Both parents are really tall (genes) Child never eats fruit, vegetables, protein, etc. (environment) Child might not be as tall as his/her gene-c poten-al I m even standing on a rock
Genes and the Environment Gene-c makeup is constant throughout our lives Genes alone do not determine our future All genes work in the context of our environment
Twin Studies
Twin Studies Iden-cal twins have the same gene-c makeup Ideal way to test genes vs. environment? Twin Studies! Raised in the same household (share environment) Raised in different households (different environment) Iden-cal twins raised apart have about an equal chance of being similar to each other in terms of personality, interests, and abtudes as iden-cal twins raised together.
Gene-cs + Poli-cs = Genopoli-cs Genes + environment influence our behavior and abtudes Poli/cal behavior and abtudes too!
Genopoli-cs: Abtudes Shared genes can explain up to 50% of the variance in the following poli-cal abtudes: Immigra-on Death penalty Euthanasia Conserva-sm Authoritarianism
Genopoli-cs: Behavior The following poli-cal behaviors are in part heritable: Being a leader Religiosity (how oven you apend religious services, how religiously observant you are) Voter par-cipa-on Poli-cal intensity Par-san apachment (how strongly you feel apached to your poli-cal party)
Genopoli-cs: Key Points Voter preferences are not simply a func-on of one s issue posi-ons, party affilia-on, or level of informa-on (environmental) Rather, they reflect elements influenced by one s gene-c makeup too Genes do not determine poli-cal abtudes or behavior (there isn t a voter gene or a conserva-ve gene ), but with the environment they can have an impact
Ques-ons?
Psychophysiology
Psychophysiology The scien-fic study of cogni-ve, emo-onal, and behavioral phenomena as related to and revealed through physiological principles and events (Cacioppo & Tassinary 1990) Assump-on: human thought, emo-on, and ac-ons are physiologically embodied
Psychophysiology Psychological states have a physiological basis When you experience fear, what does your body do? When you experience anxiety, what does your body do? Changes in our bodies are in some way related to changes in our psychological states Mind-body connec-on is a route through which gene-cs could impact social abtudes and behavior
Psychophysiology: the not so missing link Poli-cal Genes abtudes & behavior
Psychophysiology: the not so missing link Poli-cal Genes Physiology abtudes & behavior
Psychophysiological Measurement Recall from Lecture 1: What are some things that we can measure when doing psychophysiological research?
A Typical Psychophysiological Study Enter the lab, inform consent, answer some survey ques-ons Wash hands, get fiped with the equipment Collect baseline physiological measures Watch videos, look at pictures (s-muli) Example: Videos of people arguing about poli-cs, campaign ads, presiden-al speeches Example: Previously validated videos or images designed to evoke certain emo-ons Answer some more survey ques-ons
Example S-muli Interna-onal Affec-ve Picture System (IAPS) is a set of images designed to evoke certain emo-ons Disgust Fear Happiness Etc.
Psychophysiology and Poli-cs Disgust Sensi-vity Conserva-ves are more disgust sensi-ve than are liberals Those with higher disgust sensi-vity are more likely to oppose immigra-on, abor-on, and gay marriage Why?
Psychophysiology and Poli-cs Threat sensi-vity Those who are more physiologically reac-ve (EDA) to threat are more likely to be persuaded by messages that are framed to invoke physical danger Broader point is that physiological predisposi-ons can make some people more suscep-ble to persuasion depending on the frame
Psychophysiology and Poli-cs Physiological arousal in response to uncivil discourse Individuals are more physiologically reac-ve (EDA) to viewing poli-cians argue in an uncivil manner than a civil manner
Psychophysiology and Poli-cs Physiological arousal and par-cipa-ng in poli-cal discussions Individuals show a much larger increase in heart rate when told that they will have to discuss poli-cs with another person than watching videos of people arguing about poli-cs or apoli-cal topics. Par/cipa/ng is more physiologically arousing than observing
Psychophysiology and Poli-cs Heart rate and preferences for agreement Individuals whose heart rates increase the most when told to discuss poli-cs are more likely to discuss poli-cs with people who agree with them in the real world The idea is that discussing poli-cs is physiologically uncomfortable, so people try to avoid that discomfort by discussing poli-cs with people who agree with them
Psychophysiology Summary Psychophysiological differences between liberals and conserva-ves Psychophysiology can affect how we receive and process poli-cal informa-on Psychophysiology is connected to how we view poli-cians deba-ng issues and our own engagement in poli-cs Ac-ve and growing area of research!
Ques-ons?
5 minute break
Why should we care? The rela-onships between individual differences and poli-cal abtudes and behavior are interes-ng But why should we care?
Ac-vity Get together in groups of 2-3 people You are a campaign strategy team for a candidate of your choice You have the opportunity to get personality, gene-c, and physiological data on cons-tuents in your candidate s district Do you choose to use that data? If NO: Why not? What informa-on are you missing out on by not using that data? What if your compe-tor has the data? If YES: How will you use the data to help your candidate win? One person in each group should write down your responses to turn in. Make sure all group-members names are on the paper.