Module POC3051 for 2019/0
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POC3051: Political Psychology of Masses
This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.
Please note that this module is only delivered on the Penryn Campus.
Module Aims
This module aims to equip you with the tools to describe and evaluate political psychological theories of decision-making at the mass level and thus with the skills to develop your own ideas about what drives mass political attitudes and behaviours. The module begins by focusing on socialization and other explanations for where political attitudes come from before surveying a number of major topics within the field, including explanations for various kinds of violence and racism. You will learn about different theoretical perspectives and how to apply them to different examples in the study of mass behaviour. You will have the opportunity to discuss and evaluate contending theoretical perspectives and to bring theory and practice together to form their own perspectives. You will be encouraged to think critically about all of the key concepts that are explored in the module and to think about how they relate to wider questions and debates in Politics and International Relations (but also in psychology and history) about mass public opinion and behaviours. Using a range of learning methods including group presentations, research-based problem-solving exercises, film analysis, and general discussion and debate, you will have the opportunity to consider explanations of what masses do - in societies throughout the world – and how they shape contemporary world politics.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. demonstrate detailed knowledge of the major theories of mass political attitudes and behaviour in the field of political psychology in oral and written work; 2. evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different theories and research about mass political attitudes and behaviour in oral and written work; 3. apply a range of psychological theories to mass decision-making in oral and written work; |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 4. use key concepts pertaining to mass political attitudes and behaviour in oral and written work; 5. synthesize and critique a variety of theories and arguments in the field in your written work; 6. demonstrate a deep understanding of the implications of new evidence for a given theory of mass political attitudes and behaviour in your oral and written work; 7. demonstrate that you understand different methods of research in the field and their implications for findings in your oral and written work; |
| Personal and Key Skills | 8. work independently and in groups, including presentations for class discussion, and in spontaneous discussion and defence of arguments in class, and to manage conflict; 9. demonstrate oral and written analytical and organizational skills in essays, group presentations and group discussion; and 10. write essays effectively, using a range of appropriate materials, and working to a deadline. |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
1. An Introduction to Political Psychology & Mass Decision-Making
Key concepts in mass political psychology
2. Political Socialization
Where do political attitudes come from?
How stable are political attitudes?
3. Obedience and Authoritarianism
The Milgram experiments
Theories of authoritarianism and their implications for democratic citizenship
4. Atrocities
From Norman atrocities in Yorkshire through Rwanda to Syria in 2014. What makes ordinary people participate in atrocities?
5. Terrorism
Is there a ‘terrorist personality’?
6. Racism
How can political psychologists measure racism?
What causes racism?
Stereotype threat and the effects of racism on its targets
7. Tolerance
Theories of political tolerance and the implications of intolerance
8. Affect and Emotion
Traditional views of the detrimental effects of affect on decision-making
Contemporary views of ‘affective intelligence’ and the role of emotion in rational decision-making
9. Media
How do individuals process information from media?
What are the effects of media? Looking at agenda setting, priming, and framing
10. Participation, Deliberation and Influence of Peers
Deliberative polls, explanation of their effects, and what they imply
Why people vote and the influence of social pressure
11. Neuroscience and Genetics
The neuroscientific turn in political psychology. The promise and limitation of fMRI
Contemporary research into genetic influences on political attitudes and behaviours and its implications for political psychology
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 22 | 11 x 2hr seminars |
| Guided Independent study | 128 | Private study reading and preparing for seminars (around 6 hours of reading and note-taking per seminar); researching and writing essay (around 45 hours researching, planning and writing each essay). Around 17 hours researching, planning, and describing the experiment. |
| r |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group presentations | 30 minutes | 4, 5, 7-10 | Oral feedback and discussion in class from convenor and other members of the class |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 50 | 2,500 words | 1-8,10 | Written feedback |
| Exam | 50 | 1 hour 30 minutes | 2,4,6,7,10 | Written feedback |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay (2500 words) | 1-8,10 | August/September assessment period |
| Exam | Exam (1 hours 30 minutes | 2,4,6,7,10 | August/September assessment period |
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
Houghton, David Patrick. 2014 (2nd edition). Political Psychology: Situations, Individuals and Cases. New York: Routledge.
Nesbitt-Larking Paul, Kinnvall Catarina, Capelos Tereza, Dekker Henk (2014). The Palgrave Handbook of Global Political Psychology. Basigstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Huddy Leonie, David O. Sears, Levy Jack S. (2013). The Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology. Oxford/NY: Oxford University Press.
