POLI 244 Lecture 7: Poli 244 - Lecture 7

• School: McGill University
• Department: Political Science
• Course: POLI 244
• Professor: Fernando Nunez- Mietz

Document Summary

Psychological analysist, which mostly focuses on the first image of analysis, stresses that even though actors in. Ir are rational, the output of this rational thinking cannot be predicted by using mathematical calculations of probability and such. There are biases in the decision-making that influence international phenomena. Therefore simplifications ( cognitive shortcuts ) need to be established, making us less rational in decision-making. Problems resulting of that are the misuse of analogies, cognitive dissonance and attribution. Actors in ir tend to make analogies and try to learn from past situation. However, these analogies can be faulty and lead to inappropriate actions. Furthermore, preexisting beliefs make us filter information. In consequence, we take information that reinforces our existing biases more seriously than information contradicting our convictions. Humans also have the tendency to attribute more agency to the actions of others than of our own actions, which we view as forced upon us.