Information Package / Course Catalogue
Psychology of Politics
Course Code: KAY215
Course Type: Area Elective
Couse Group: First Cycle (Bachelor's Degree)
Education Language: Turkish
Work Placement: N/A
Theory: 3
Prt.: 0
Credit: 3
Lab: 0
ECTS: 6
Objectives of the Course

The purpose of this course reveals the basic features and concepts of general psychology; and in this context, society, psychology, mass psychology, politics, psychology, political attitudes, political alienation is to provide information about issues.

Course Content

Public opinion, attitudes, sense of political alienation, political events, personalities and politics, faith and ideology consistency, impressive communication models will be examined topics.

Name of Lecturer(s)
Res. Assist. Burcu DEMİRDÖVEN
Learning Outcomes
1.Gains knowledge about the basic concepts, historical development, and interdisciplinary nature of political psychology.
2.Analyzes fundamental problems in political science from the perspective of individual and group psychology.
3.Evaluates the impact of leaders' personality traits on decision-making processes and foreign policy preferences.
4.Explains political cognition processes and their role in political information processing.
5.Comprehends intergroup conflict, polarization, and othering mechanisms within the framework of social identity theory.
6.Discusses the impact of emotions on voter behavior and political participation at theoretical and practical levels.
7.Establishes the relationship between psychological structures (authoritarian personality, narcissism, etc.) and political ideologies.
8.Analyzes the psychological foundations of propaganda, persuasion strategies, and perception management in public opinion formation.
9.Critically addresses the psychological effects of digitalization and social media on political attitudes.
10.Interprets the reflections of collective traumas and memory on contemporary political processes.
Recommended or Required Reading
1.David Patrick Houghton ,Siyaset Psikolojisi Durumlar, Bireyler, Olaylar, Bilge Kültür Sanat, 2025.
2.Martha L. Cottam, Elena Mastors, Thomas Preston ve Beth Dietz, Siyaset Psikolojisine Giriş, Serbest Akademi, 2021.
3.Carl Gustav Jung, Arketipler ve Kolektif Bilinçdışı, PİNHAN, 2025.
4.Ferihan Polat, Siyasal Davranışın Psikolojisi, Nobel Akademik yayıncılık, 2023
5.Deniz Ülke Kaynak, Hadiye Odabaşı, Travmadan Zafere, İnkılap Kitabevi, 2025
Weekly Detailed Course Contents
Week 1 - Theoretical
Introduction to Political Psychology: Basic Concepts, Interdisciplinary Approaches, and Units of Analysis.
Week 2 - Theoretical
Personality Theories in Political Psychology: Psychoanalytic Approaches, Narcissism, and Authoritarian Personality Structure.
Week 3 - Theoretical
Psychology of Leadership: Leader Types, Character Analyses, and Individual Influence in Decision-Making Processes.
Week 4 - Theoretical
Political Cognition and Information Processing: Schemas, Heuristics, and Mechanisms of Political Perception.
Week 5 - Theoretical
Political Attitudes and Belief Systems: Attitude Formation, Change, and the Psychological Foundations of Ideologies.
Week 6 - Theoretical
Intergroup Relations and Identity: Social Identity Theory, the "Us" vs. "Them" Distinction, and Polarization.
Week 7 - Theoretical
The Role of Emotions in Political Behavior: The Impact of Fear, Anger, Hope, and Enthusiasm on Voter Preferences.
Week 8 - Theoretical
Psychology of Public Opinion and Propaganda: Persuasion Strategies, Perception Management, and Crowd Psychology.
Week 9 - Theoretical
Psychology of Political Participation: Political Activism, Protest Culture, and Motivations for Collective Action.
Week 10 - Theoretical
Psychology of Conflict, Violence, and Terrorism: Radicalization Processes and the Construction of the Enemy Image.
Week 11 - Theoretical
Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict: The Psychological Construction of National Identity and Ethnocentrism.
Week 12 - Theoretical
Political Socialization: The Role of Family, Education, and Media in the Formation of Political Self.
Week 13 - Theoretical
Psychology of Digital Politics: Psychological Effects of Social Media, Echo Chambers, and Online Disinformation.
Week 14 - Theoretical
Trauma and Politics: The Impact of Collective Traumas on Political Memory and Future Visions.
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Type of AssessmentCountPercent
Midterm Examination1%40
Final Examination1%60
Workload Calculation
ActivitiesCountPreparationTimeTotal Work Load (hours)
Lecture - Theory130339
Individual Work130452
Midterm Examination127128
Final Examination131132
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours)151
Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes
PÇ-1
PÇ-2
PÇ-3
PÇ-4
PÇ-5
PÇ-6
PÇ-7
PÇ-8
PÇ-9
PÇ-10
PÇ-11
PÇ-12
PÇ-13
PÇ-14
PÇ-15
OÇ-1
3
4
2
4
2
4
4
2
2
2
4
2
3
4
3
OÇ-2
2
4
2
3
2
4
5
2
2
1
3
2
4
4
4
OÇ-3
OÇ-4
OÇ-5
OÇ-6
OÇ-7
OÇ-8
OÇ-9
OÇ-10
Adnan Menderes University - Information Package / Course Catalogue
2026