ASPO 25A37 - Behavioral sciences and political dynamics

ASPO 25A37 · Semestre d'automne 2026-2027

Langue d'enseignement
English
Type d'enseignement
Cours magistral
Nombre d'heures
24
Crédits
5

Informations

Descriptif

This course aims to provide a panorama of how behavioural approaches can help to understand key issues in the political and social sciences. It will examine the central cognitive and behavioural processes relevant to the analysis of social and political dynamics. Furthermore, the methodological and theoretical limitations and challenges of these approaches will be discussed throughout the semester in order to enable students to think and apply these approaches critically. By the end of the semester students will know :

  • the key concepts from behavioral science to analyse political and social dynamics
  • the tools to get a critical perspective on the use of behavioral sciences for the understanding of social and political processes
  • the general principles of the main methodological tools used in behavioral sciences

Pré-requis

No prerequisite

Format pédagogique

Through a combination of formal lectures and class discussion, the course will provide students with the tools necessary to apply a behavioural perspective to political and social issues.

Mode de validation

10% engagement

30% mid-term quiz

30% final quiz

30% final paper proposing a psychological analysis of a real-life issue (1,500 words)

Lectures

Lectures principales 4

  1. Amodio, D. M. (2014). The neuroscience of prejudice and stereotyping. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 15(10), 670-682.

  2. Barclay, P. (2016). Biological markets and the effects of partner choice on cooperation and friendship. Current opinion in psychology, 7, 33-38.

  3. Cosmides, L., & Tooby, J. (1997). Evolutionary psychology: A primer (Vol. 13). Center for Evolutionary Psychology, Santa Barbara.

  4. Pepper, G. V., & Nettle, D. (2017). The behavioural constellation of deprivation: Causes and consequences. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 40, e314.

Lectures secondaires 5

  1. Boon-Falleur, M., Grandin, A., Baumard, N., & Chevallier, C. (2022). Leveraging social cognition to promote effective climate change mitigation. Nature Climate Change, 12(4), 332-338.

  2. Boyer, P. (2018). Minds make societies: How cognition explains the world humans create. Yale University Press.

  3. Boyer, P., Chantland, E., & Safra, L. (2024). Victims of misfortune may not “deserve” help: A possible factor in victim-devaluation. Evolution and Human Behavior, 45(2), 153-163.

  4. Safra, L., Algan, Y., Tecu, T., Grèzes, J., Baumard, N., & Chevallier, C. (2017). Childhood harshness predicts long-lasting leader preferences. Evolution and Human Behavior, 38(5), 645-651.

  5. Starmans, C., Sheskin, M., & Bloom, P. (2017). Why people prefer unequal societies. Nature Human Behaviour, 1(4), 1-7.

Unités pédagogiques

N° d'UPType d'UP Unités pédagogiquesEnseignants Nombre d'heuresCrédits
19329Cours magistral Behavioral sciences and political dynamics Lou SAFRA, Mélusine BOON-FALLEUR, Pascal BOYER, Lou SCHUBERT245
20456Cours magistral Behavioral sciences and political dynamics ——5

Enseignants

  • Lou SAFRA
  • Mélusine BOON-FALLEUR
  • Pascal BOYER
  • Lou SCHUBERT

Dans les maquettes

Contacts et ressources

Contact pédagogique
NICOULEAU Svetlana