Four Political Psychology Webinars

Have we got a treat for you! First Person Politics presents four new free-to-watch webinars covering the basics of political psychology, political personalities, political messaging, and the political applications of social and situational influence techniques.

These webinars were recorded live and were hosted by the Manning Centre for Building Democracy, a political training institute for center-right leaders and activists in Canada. To their enormous credit, they recognized that the insights from political psychology transcend national, ideological, and partisan boundaries — and we would like to thank them for giving us the opportunity to present this material.

The four webinars and summaries of them are presented below. If you finish watching them and are still hungry for more, check out our online seminars on the psychology behind political ideology and on generational theory. Additional online seminars are available inside the Briefing Room. Thank you for listening, and please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions.

Introduction to Political Psychology

Politics is supposed to be rational, but people aren’t. If you want to win power and change the world, your strategies and tactics need to be based on how people actually form opinions, make decisions, and behave. The problem is that far too many strategies for governing, campaigning, and organizing are based on outdated, discredited assumptions about the way people work. Political psychology is about discovering the irrational, unconscious factors that motivate and influence people in political settings – and then using them to make a difference.

The Art of Messaging

To be effective, leaders must communicate using values-driven language that speaks to the core motivations of audiences. Learn how write effective talking points that persuade the public and leave your opponents struggling to keep up.

Influencing People

Attitudes and behaviors are only very loosely related. If your goal is to get people to do something like volunteer for a campaign, give money, or get out and vote, don’t try to convince them – just influence them! This webinar explores the principles of social and situational influence and how they can be used effectively in politics, advocacy, and public affairs.

Political Personalities

Personality traits and personality types are at least as influential as traditional demographic categories when it comes to political attitudes and behaviors. Six basic personality types are commonly found in politics. Knowing what they are can help you understand the strengths and vulnerabilities of political leaders – whether you intend to elect them or defeat them. This webinar also looks at the Big Five domains of personality — openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism — and how they influence our politics.

Categorized in: Cognitive Psychology, David Rosen, First Person Politics, Ideology, Lasswell’s Formula, Messaging, Music & Video, Partisanship, Political Psychology, Social Influence and Compliance