Definition

Political psychology is an interdisciplinary field of study that lies at the crossroads of many fields of research, including psychology, political science, communication, economics, and sociology. Although the field is very broad, much of its research deals with using principles and theories from both psychology and political science to understand and predict people's political opinions, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Political thought and behavior play an important role in determining leaders and how leaders will think and behave. Political psychology attempts to apply scientific principles to better understand these processes. Although this entry presents only the smallest of glimpses into a very limited sample of what political psychology has to offer, it is hoped that the reader will gain an insight into the topics that political psycholoGists ...