Freudian psychoanalytic theory shaped the study of personality in politics

Evidence

The study of personality and politics is one of the oldest and most central topics in political psychology. Several of the most influential attempts to understand the role of personality in politics were inspired by Freudian psychoanalytic theory, which assumes that much of human behavior is driven by unconscious motivational forces. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 105

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Psychology-socialism debates shaped Horkheimer’s turn to Freudian theory — Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination: A History…, 317; Fromm pioneered a psychoanalytic reading of verbatim questionnaire responses — Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination: A History…, 391; Adorno grounded his analysis of fascist propaganda in Freud’s group psychology. — Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination: A History…, 1578 (+1 more)