Course syllabus Political Psychology and Crisis Management

180 credits of which 90 credits must have been obtained in subjects in the social sciences or the humanities. English proficiency equivalent to English 6 or English Level 2 is also required.

The foundational claim of the course is that insight on both psychological as well as institutional perspectives are essential for understanding actions and decision-making in crises. Crises often entail rapid, negative change or serious incidents with great consequences for many people or groups. Processes such as these force difficult and potentially divisive value-laden prioritization in resource allocation. This is in turn shaped by individual capacities and knowledge of decision-makers in conjunction with groups and networks in the institutional environment. The course engages with key academic discourses that have been influential in contemporary research on decision-making, policy-making, and crisis management. It begins with an overview of political psychology as a field of study and subsequently focuses on the role of institutional and political contexts in shaping decision making and policy processes. The course thus provides a range of analytical tools for understanding the interaction between psychological and institutional factors as they manifest in crisis management processes. Core areas of knowledge addressed in the course include leadership and leadership styles, cooperation and coordination (including decision-making and group dynamics), cognition and emotion (including analogical reasoning), and problem framing.

The course consists of lectures and seminars. The student will be required to study single cases of decision processes in order to identify factors and characteristics that contribute to political outcomes.

Type of Instruction

• Seminars
• Lectures

Upon completion of the course the student should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• critically examine and discuss contributions to the research literature on crisis management and political psychology

Competence and skills 

• apply and assess the value of these approaches in terms of methodology and applicability to specific empirical problems within the fields

Judgement and approach

• independently identify and evaluate theoretical as well as practical problems and solutions within the fields of crisis management and political psychology

Assessment is conducted through an on-campus written exam, as well as active participation in mandatory seminars.

The examiner may decide to request supplementary assignments in order to achieve a passing grade on the course. Supplementary assignments must be completed no later than three working days after the notification of any supplementary assignment, unless there are special reasons approved by the examiner.

Grading

The student is graded on a three-point grading scale: Fail (U), Pass (G), Pass with distinction (VG).

To obtain the grade Pass (G) on the course, the student must actively participate in the mandatory seminars and achieve the grade Pass (G) on the on-campus written examination.

To obtain the grade Pass with Distinction (VG) on the course, the student must, in addition to the requirements for a Pass (G), achieve the grade Pass with Distinction (VG) on the on-campus written examination.

Grading criteria are reported at the latest at the start of the course.

Restrictions in Number of Examinations

There is no limit on the total number of examination opportunities.

When the course is no longer offered or when the course content has changed substantially, the student has the right to be examined once per semester during a three-term period in accordance with this syllabus.