Psychological Approaches to International Relations

Question 1

What is a key problem in using psychological predispositions to explain social behavior?

Answer 1

Psychological predispositions (like basic personality traits or instincts) stay the same over time, but social behavior (how we act in different situations) can change. This makes it hard to consistently connect someone’s inner traits to their behavior in all situations.

Question 2

What is the “fallacy of the single factor”?

Answer 2

It refers to the problem of psychological reductionism, oversimplifying complex social phenomena by attributing them to a single psychological cause.

Question 3

Why is it difficult to infer individual behavior to group behavior in psychological approaches?

Answer 3

Group dynamics often differ significantly from individual behavior, making direct inference unreliable.

Question 4

What are common attributes examined in elite-level decision-making models?

Answer 4

Insecurity, narcissism, childhood trauma, and abuse, often linked to psychobiographies of leaders.

Question 5

What does sociobiology (evolutionary psychology) claim about altruistic self-sacrifice?

Answer 5

Individuals may engage in altruistic self-sacrifice for their group to enhance group or species survival, though such claims are difficult to verify or falsify.

Question 6

How does technology affect human aggression, according to Lorenz?

Answer 6

Technology has increased humans’ capacity to harm without proportionally increasing inhibiting mechanisms, heightening the risk of violence.

Question 7

What does Freud’s instinct theory of aggression propose?

Answer 7

Freud’s theory suggests that humans have two main instincts: the “life instinct,” which is about survival and growth, and the “death instinct,” which is a desire for self-destruction. The ego tries to control these instincts and can push the self-destructive energy outward, which can lead to aggressive behavior, like war.

Question 8

What does frustration-aggression theory suggest?

Answer 8

Frustration, caused by blocked goal attainment, leads to aggression, often directed at scapegoats rather than the actual source of frustration.

Question 9

What does social identity theory (SIT) suggest about group behavior?

Answer 9

People categorize themselves and others into groups and enhance self-esteem by favorably comparing their group to others, but can also lead to intergroup conflict

Question 10

What factors may determine if competition between groups leads to conflict?

Answer 10

The stakes of competition and the nature of domestic institutions can influence whether competition results in conflict.

Question 11

How might leaders exploit group psychology?

Answer 11

Insecure leaders can use external conflicts to distract from domestic issues and unify their group.

Question 12

What question does the Robbers Cave Experiment address in group psychology?

Answer 12

The Robbers Cave Experiment (boys at camp) explores how and why groups form, compete, and sometimes break apart when people are given different ways to categorize themselves and others. It helps understand how group identity is created and how conflicts can arise when people see themselves as part of one group and others as part of a different group.

Question 13

What is a potential danger in overemphasizing group loyalty in psychological approaches?

Answer 13

Exaggerating the role of “irrational” group loyalties may overlook other motivations, such as material self-interest or opportunism.

Question 14

In Mercer’s article, “Anarchy and Identity”, what is the core argument?

Answer 14

This article argues that the assumption of state egoism is strong and leads to self-help systems, not because of structure or social processes, but because of human cognition and a desire for a positive social identity. The article posits that even with constructivist assumptions, self-help remains a core dynamic of international relations.

Question 15

Explain critiques of constructivism according to Mercer

Answer 15

Though it agrees that identities are socially constructed, biases limit how these identities form

Self help is not just a social construct but a result of intergroup relations in an anarchic system

Question 16

How does Mercer use SIT to explain state identity formation?

Answer 16

Mercer uses Social Identity Theory (SIT) to explain state identity formation by showing that states, like individuals, form identities through group identification and comparisons with other states.

States seek positive self-identity by identifying with certain groups and competing with out-groups, often prioritizing relative gains over absolute gains, similar to how individuals favor their own group even in arbitrary settings.

Question 17

What does Mercer argue about self-help and other-help?

Answer 17

Mercer argues that in an “other-help” system, a state’s goals and priorities are linked to the well-being and interests of others, creating a shared sense of purpose

Question 18

What does Mercer suggest about a Cognitive Basis for Self Help?

Answer 18

Mercer argues that self-help, or competition between states, comes from cognitive biases (how we think and categorize others), rather than just being shaped by social processes. It suggests that states compete because they want a positive identity, not because of external structures or processes.

Question 19

How does ethnocentrism affect group identity according to Mercer?

Answer 19

According to Mercer, ethnocentrism affects group identity by strengthening in-group cooperation and increasing hostility toward out-groups. The stronger the in-group identity, the more likely there is to be competition with out-groups.

Question 20

What is perspective taking, in Mercer’s article? Why does Mercer argue that it’s difficult to perspective take?

Answer 20

Perspective taking is central to establishing an “other-help” system, where actors can understand each other’s intentions and be more empathetic.

The article argues that people tend to interpret situations through their own ethnocentric lens, underestimating the variability of subjective interpretations.

Question 21

What is the core argument of Gries’s article “Social psychology and the identity conflict debate: Is a ‘China threat’ inevitable?

Answer 21

The article argues that intergroup conflict is not inevitable but rather a contingent outcome of 3 psycho social conditions.

Question 22

What are the 3 psycho social conditions?

Answer 22

1. Salient Comparisons
2. Consequential comparisons
3. Zero-Sum comparisons

Question 23

How does Gries critique Realism and Mercer’s pessimism?

Answer 23

Gries challenges the realist view that conflict is an inevitable outcome of international relations, as well as Mercer’s argument that ethnocentrism makes conflict an inescapable feature of intergroup relations.

Gries argues that Mercer’s pessimism is unwarranted, and that social psychology suggests that intergroup conflict is contingent on the 3 conditions.

Question 24

How does Gries use SIT to explain how group identitfication and positivity can lead to competition and conflict?

Answer 24

SIT suggests that people identify with groups and want their group to be viewed positively, often comparing their group to others can lead to competition and conflict.

Conflict happens in two steps under the 3 conditions:
(1) Strengthening in-group positivity
(2) Strengthening competition between groups

Question 25

According to Gries, what is the first condition: Salient Comparisons?

Answer 25

Comparisons must be made with external and desirable groups.

Question 26

According to Gries, what is the second condition: Consequential Comparisons?

Answer 26

The object of comparison must be important to the self-concept.

Question 27

According to Gries, hat is the third condition: Zero Sum Comparisons?

Answer 27

The comparisons must be framed in zero-sum terms, where one group’s gain is perceived as another’s loss.

Question 28

What are the 5 conditions that can prevent intergroup competition even when the three conditions are present, according to Gries?

Answer 28

1. Social Mobility: Leaving a threatened social identity.

Social Creativity: Reframing comparisons to make the ingroup look better. This includes:
2. Introducing a new dimension of comparison.
3. Changing the values assigned to the attributes being compared.
4. Changing the target of comparison.
5. Self-deception, where perceptions are distorted to avoid direct comparison.

Question 29

What does Gries argue about ingroup positivity and external validation?

Answer 29

Gries argues that individuals seek external validation to increase ingroup positivity, and that desire for validation is key to comparing oneself to others.

Question 30

What does Gries say about the role of emotion?

Answer 30

The article suggests that emotion, particularly anger, plays a crucial role in the transition from intergroup competition to intergroup conflict. Gries argues that anger can arise when a group perceives an injustice and seeks to restore its status.

Question 31

What does Gries say about individual agency and conflict?

Answer 31

He argues that conflict is not predetermined but shaped by how individuals construe events (agency)