Harold Lasswell's True Development Of Political Psychology

The most relevant early contributions to the psychological aspect of the field were made by Sigmund Freud. Freud may truly be considered the father of the field of psychology around the world with his creation of the Psychoanalytical approach. Freud stated that the human mind is in a constant battle between the childish, selfish side of our mind and the benevolent moral self. When we as an individual have difficulty reconciling between the two, Humans will typically employ one or more of the defensive mechanisms of denial, repression, displacement and transference.(Freud) The introduction of psychoanalysis in personality studies of political figures starting in the 30s, 40s, and 50 was the birth of Political Psychology. Harold Lasswell who …show more content…
Theodor Adorno argued that many far-right political ideas such as fascism and racism stem from the childhood home. The theory is that authoritarian personality types shift their aggression on racial minorities in an attempt to hide their incompetence and personal weaknesses, or they utilize a series coping method. These include the endless search for absolute answers to questions without absolute answers. As well as a tendency to have a black and white view on all issues with no areas of grey ever permitted. The theory also stated one was more liable to fall under the influence of an authoritarian strongman if their upbringing was a strict one.(Adorno, T., Frenkel Brunswik, E., Levinson, D., & Sanford, N (1950). The authoritarian personality.). This theory was widely accepted until Stanley Milgram proved through the Milgram experiment that through instruction and suggestion ordinary humans are capable of wretched actions they typically would never do by themselves. (Milgrim …show more content…
The field began to focus on political beliefs, information interpretation, and political decision-making. This area of the field uses mostly schema and attribution theory. These theories state that all information is formulated into units and that we to understand events, try to attribute feelings and emotions of the event. Cognitive consistency translated over into the international arena of political psychology.This is the idea that instead of altering one's beliefs they adjust the reality to fit into their belief. The text that introduced this subject is Jervis’s Perception and Misperception In International Politics. He stated the way information was processed can fundamentally change policy as well. (Jervis