Political Psychology in International Relations

by Rose McDermott

Overview

This outstanding book is the first to decisively define the relationship between political psychology and international relations. Written in a style accessible to undergraduates as well as specialists, McDermott's book makes an eloquent case for the importance of psychology to our understanding of global politics.

In the wake of September 11, the American public has been besieged with claims that politics is driven by personality. Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, Kim Chong-Il, Ayatollah Khameinei-America's political rogues' gallery is populated by individuals whose need for recognition supposedly drives their actions on the world stage. How does personality actually drive politics? And how is personality, in turn, formed by political environment? Political Psychology in International Relations provides students and scholars with the analytical tools they need to answer these pressing questions, and to assess their implications for policy in a real and sometimes dangerous world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780472097012
Publisher:	University of Michigan Press
Publication date:	04/16/2004
Series:	Analytical Perspectives On Politics
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Rose McDermott is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a renowned expert on the connections between international politics and psychology.

Editorial Reviews

"Realizing that terrorism incites fear for political objectives brings to the fore the new dynamisms operating between psychology and political science. Rose McDermott's extraordinary work breathes new life into political psychology, providing a comprehensive and accessible account of the discipline's fundamental principles and methods."
—Philip G. Zimbardo, Stanford University

Philip G. Zimbardo

"This is a real tour de force. McDermott is a master of the diverse approaches to political psychology and international politics. Newcomers to the subject cannot find a better guide; skeptics, even if not persuaded, will be enlightened; even experts will see the field in a new way."
---Robert Jervis, Columbia University



"Realizing that terrorism incites fear for political objectives brings to the fore the new dynamisms operating between psychology and political science. Rose McDermott's extraordinary work breathes new life into political psychology, providing a comprehensive and accessible account of the discipline's fundamental principles and methods."
---Philip G. Zimbardo, Stanford University

From the Publisher