Human Centered Psychology of Political Beliefs - David O. Sears
Feb 28, 2022
David O. Sears, a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Political Science at UCLA, joins fellow psychologist Vivian Zayas from Cornell to dive into the psychology behind political beliefs. They discuss how implicit and explicit attitudes shape opinions, especially among marginalized groups. The conversation reveals the complex interplay of class, race, and status on political identity. They also highlight the evolving role of data and social media in analyzing public sentiment and political polarization, offering fresh insights into modern political dynamics.
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Explicit Surveys Often Suffice
- David Sears argues explicit political survey measures work well because social norms support expressing political views.
- He contends implicit measures add little for general political ideology where people willingly state their views.
Dual-Process Partisanship Among Immigrants
- Sears applies Kahneman's dual-process model to immigrant partisanship: fast affective responses form quickly while deliberative connections to issues take longer.
- He finds immigrants show similar partisan coherence but weaker links to broader issue networks than natives.
Campaigns Crystalize Teen Partisanship
- Sears describes a Wisconsin panel where adolescents' partisanship crystallized during a presidential campaign while parents' views stayed stable.
- He uses this to show campaigns act as intense socializing episodes that solidify partisan identities.
