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MSc in Political Psychology

The Centre for Research in Political Psychology (CResPP) at the School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) offers an MSc in Political Psychology, the first in the UK. 

Political Psychology is a growing inter-disciplinary sub-field drawing on insights from a number of disciplines including Psychology, Political Science and History..  It is concerned with understanding political issues and phenomena by exploring how socio-political contexts and institutions are affected by and affect individual and collective cognitions and behaviours.  It addresses questions such as:

  • How are public opinions formed and mobilised?
  • How do political leaders make decisions?
  • What are the social influences which determine how diverse groups within nations and across nations relate to each other?
  • Why and under what circumstances do people commit violent political acts and mass killings?
  • What is the role of the media in influencing political cognitions and behaviours?
  • Why are some inter-group conflicts intractable and protracted?
  • How do we build peace?

CResPP at the School of Psychology, QUB is well placed to offer a course which deals with these issues.  It has a longstanding international reputation for its social psychological research on political issues.  It is also situated in Belfast, a city which has experienced one of the most protracted conflicts in the world and, following the peace process, is now in the process of fostering cohesion between communities which have been divided for a long time.  This context provides students with opportunities to apply their learning to real life political phenomena.