about political psychology
It’s how you really motivate and influence people.
what is political psychology?
political psychology is about the power to influence
It’s about what really motivates people interested in power and social change. The surprising truth is that most of our beliefs and actions are determined by psychological forces outside our awareness. These forces hold the key to political and social change.
the power to influence comes from the layers of influence
From the behavioral triggers hiding in plain sight to the inner workings of the psyche, we call these unconscious forces the Layers of Influence. Understanding them will help you begin to see how psychology drives politics. Scroll over the diagram to learn about each layer.
the layers of influence
collective influences
How events and trends in the world affect us. Our community, culture, and place in history shape what we want and what we can achieve — not just at birth but every single day.
situational influences
How circumstances and physical objects affect us. Everything from the weather to the presence of a national flag can further or hinder our ambitions.
social influences
How people influence us. When other people are around, we can’t help but conform to their expectations. That’s because our social instincts are just that powerful.
conscious awareness
How our beliefs, feelings, and senses contribute. Our conscious minds rarely influence our choices, but are happy to rationalize and take credit for them.
personal unconscious
How our parents, personalities, and experiences shape us. Early childhood patterns determine who we become, giving rise to our greatest strengths and weaknesses.
cognitive unconscious
How the brain itself shapes our perceptions and structures our decisions. In effect, human beings are born hard-wired to automatically jump to certain conclusions.
collective Unconscious
How universal myths, images, and symbols shape the human experience. A picture is worth a thousand words, but there's nothing more powerful than a good story.
external influences
These influences originate in the outside world, though most people are innately receptive to them. We’ll help you harness them for maximum effect.
internal motivations
These motivations live inside the psyche. We’ll show you how to trigger the ones that can help you and avoid triggering the ones that will just stand in your way.
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why political psychology? because…
changing people means changing how you think about people
Political psychology has quietly transformed nearly everything we know about human nature. The problem is that far too many strategies for governing and change are based on outdated, discredited assumptions about the way people work. First Person Politics is here to fix that.
success means turning your goals into their goals
Your strategies should be based on how people actually form opinions, behave, and change. We’re here to help you recognize the central role that psychology plays in politics, and then equip you with the ideas and tools you need to reach your goals.