Political Psychology

Drastic shifts in public opinion in the last decade have seen an uptick in gay and lesbian candidates running for -- and winning -- public office as never before. But experts often advise even openly gay and lesbian candidates to...

Countries with higher national IQ (intelligence quotient) are more likely to experience greater financial development, according to a study published this March in Intelligence. Intelligence is closely connected to a number of economic factors at both the individual and national...

The increasing proportion of the population who prefer to remain childless is a major social problem for many European countries. However this trend has not (so far) been the result of the expansion of education. This is the conclusion of...

The effects of personality traits on vote choice are mediated by political attitudes, according to a study published online this July in Electoral Studies. The findings point to the importance of party identification, feelings toward the candidates, policy preferences and...

If you want to predict which political party someone will support, take note of the person's height. The taller a person is, the more likely he or she is to support conservative political positions, support a conservative party and actually...

People make systematic judgment errors by assigning their own political views to attractive or competent-looking candidates, according to a study published this June in Political Psychology. Candidates who are perceived as competent, attractive, likable, or nonthreatening, based on their facial...

A new nationwide study suggests why heavy users of partisan media outlets are more likely than others to hold political misperceptions. It's not because the people using these sites are unaware that experts have weighed in on the issues. And...

An alarming number of Americans have recently expressed skepticism about the role of childhood vaccinations, despite a repository of evidence that supports the effectiveness of the technique at preventing a number of diseases. Contentions range from relatively mild concerns about...

People who commit mass shootings in America tend to share three traits: rampant depression, social isolation and pathological narcissism, according to a paper presented at the American Psychological Association's annual convention that calls on the media to deny such shooters...

Democratic female leaders are considered less capable of handling terrorism when worry about terror is high, according to a recent study published this February in Political Research Quarterly. The threat of terrorism has a lasting effect upon the people of...

Living around people with opposing political viewpoints affects your ability to form close relationships and accept other perspectives - and may even change your personality, finds a national study led by a Michigan State University scholar. The findings also could...

New research published in the European Journal of Social Psychology has found a link between boredom and political extremism. "Boredom puts people on edge: It makes them seek engagements that are challenging, exciting, and that offer a sense of purpose....

Conservative Americans remained unwaveringly suspicious of foreigners following Osama bin Laden's death, while liberals dropped their guard briefly before returning to more vigilant beliefs, finds a provocative new study led by a Michigan State University scholar. The findings, online now...

While events like the Arab Spring brought hope that the internet could inspire the growth of democracy in authoritarian countries, a new study offers a reality check. Researchers studying Russian and Ukrainian internet users found that their demand for democratic...

New research from Rice University theorizes that "anti-evolution" education legislation continues to be introduced because lawmakers want to appease religious constituents, not because they expect the bills to be made into laws. David Johnson, a postdoctoral research associate with Rice's...