Political Social Psychology Flashcards
Political Social Psychology
Social psychology applied to politics in which psychological factors in people’s attitudes and behaviors are emphasized.
Political Socialization
Party identification is usually developed before adulthood and is strongly influenced by one’s parents. People also tend to choose the candidate their parents favor. Opinions on subjective political issues are especially influenced by one’s peers.
Stability of Socialization
Party and racial attitudes tend to be steady throughout one’s lifetime. When a significant event occurs during adolescence or an individual moves into an area with a different atmosphere, attitudes can change.
Bennington Study
Students who most identified with their college that consisted of a liberal faculty became most liberal. Political views at college graduation tended to be the same 20 years later.
Race Essentialism
Believing that race has an underlying, unchangeable essence that makes people of a particular race who they are and leads people to think that members of a particular racial group are all alike.
Sociotropic Voting
Voting according to what people think is the condition of the national economy rather than their own economic conditions.
Group Differences by Gender
Women are more likely to vote democratic, more liberal, in ways that benefit communities (sociotropic voting), in favor of supporting social services, and are less likely to support military funding. Women are also more likely to vote in general.
Group Differences by Race
White male voters are more likely to vote Republican, more conservative vs. men of color who tend to vote Democratic, more liberal.
Inconsistency of Beliefs
Occurs with everyone; one can oppose higher taxes but vote for those who maintain social programs that are funded by taxes. People tend to not be conservative or liberal across all issues.
Internal Attributions
White Americans are more likely to attribute disadvantages to internal factors - not working hard enough, not smart enough, etc. In their eyes, these are controllable internal factors.
» For a person who believes that these disadvantages are attributed to lack of effort, then that person will believe that nothing needs to be done.
External Attributions
People of color are more likely to attribute disadvantages to situational factors - discrimination and restrictions to opportunities.
» For a person who believes the cause of these disadvantages are poor conditions, then it’s likely that person would opt for improving those conditions.
News Media
Can make small changes, but overall is not successful in changing people’s attitudes. However, they are successful at setting the public agenda by making certain issues important to the country.
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