Why and How Psychology Matters

This article examines the relevance of psychology in contextual political analysis. It outlines a general theoretical perspective that proposes that human behaviour is a function of both individual and situational forces and describes how both individual differences and situational forces have illuminated our understanding of the contextual determinants of political phenomena. It comments on social scientist Kurt Lewin's work on the person-situation controversy and offers some thoughts on the potential tension between a focus on contextual effects and theory development.

This article examines the relevance of psychology in contextual political analysis. It outlines a general theoretical perspective that proposes that human behaviour is a function of both individual and situational forces and describes how both individual differences and situational forces have illuminated our understanding of the contextual determinants of political phenomena. It comments on social scientist Kurt Lewin's work on the person-situation controversy and offers some thoughts on the potential tension between a focus on contextual effects and theory development.