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26 January 2006

PPBW Kickoff with McDermott

Also on Friday, the next semester of the Political Psychology and Behavior Workshop (PPBW) begins at Noon. Our first paper is "Cognitive Neuroscience and Politics" by Rose McDermott of UCSB. Here's an excerpt from the conclusion:

Earlier political science scholars may have ignored or neglected the impact of emotion on politics at least in part because it was so difficult to study and measure. As methods in the cognitive neuroscience improve, our understanding of human brain functioning improves in ways that make empirically grounded investigations more plausible and gratifying. Yet we are clearly at the very beginning of our understanding of the complex relationships between brain, behavior and emotion. Humility is an appropriate emotion in the face of this realization. However, recognition of such daunting knowledge should not detract or distract us from our goal of seeking greater understanding of the myriad ways in which emotion can influence political thought and action. Using more sophisticated and multiple measures in service of more specific theories can help advance our knowledge in important ways.

Posted by Barry Burden at January 26, 2006 8:30 PM