On the Asking of Relevant Questions

Nothing is more appealing than the opportunity to pontificate, and no occasion is more inviting to the potential pontificator than the formation of a new organization devoted to such worthy ends as the pursuit of political psychology. Thus, the time for pontification seems uncomfortably right, as does the topic of this panel: the training of political psychologists. Indeed, on a subject as opaque as this one, pontification can almost pass itself off as reasoned argument. I hope my readers will be able to distinguish between the two in what follows. The status of advanced training in political psychology today may best be characterized as haphazard. I use this word advisedly, preferring it to a more evaluative characterization, such as or inadequate. The latter terms assume a knowledge on our part of what the training of the political psychologist ought to be, a knowledge we must uncover, rather than simply presume. As it happens, I believe that training in political psychology is inadequate as well as haphazard, and I will try to make a case for my evaluation later in this paper. I would add, parenthetically, that the reason for the haphazard quality of political psychology training is the deficient normative role of political psychology in the larger enterprise of political science

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• Contributions of the Cognitive Approach to Political Psychology

  Open Access•Kathleen M Mcgraw•Political Psychology•2000

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