To different disciplines

4.2.2
Psychology and Political Science
Political science is another discipline, which has developed extensively in recent
times. Political science deals with the political organisations, institutions and
government practices. In recent years, there has been a very close interaction
between political science and psychology. Attempts have been made to study
and analyse the influence of the political system on human character and
behaviour. Psychologists have done extensive research on what is known as
‘authoritarianism’ and have tried to explain this as a product of certain types of
political systems.
Similarly, concepts like Machiavellianism, autocracy, etc., which are generally
applied by the political scientists to large societies, have been made use of by
psychologists in studying small organisations. In a classical experiment, Kurt
Lewin and his followers studied autocratic groups, democratic groups, and others
and compared their functioning.
Psychologists have also attempted to study the role of psychological factors in
leadership. Thus, the lives of several political leaders have been analysed from a
psychological angle to understand their behaviour and the factors which made

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Application of Psychology
to Different Disciplines
them successful leaders. Examples of such leaders whose lives have been analysed
are Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Adolph Hitler and others.
Psychological analysis has also been made of different aspects of political
behaviour like propaganda, voting behaviour, emergence of public opinion, mob
mentality etc.
4.2.3
Psychology and Education
Education is, perhaps, one of the oldest sciences with which psychology has
been intimately connected. The field of education is primarily concerned with
the development of effective approaches and techniques for imparting knowledge
and skills which would make the people personally successful and happy and
socially productive. Needless to say, in striving to achieve these, educators have
to take into account psychological factors such as the nature of the learning
process abilities of individuals, their needs and proper methods of teaching among
other factors.
Psychologists have made extensive contributions by developing a wide variety
of tests which help the educator to measure the abilities of pupils, their
inclinations, and choose the proper educational levels and situations.
Psychological theories of motivation have contributed to work out techniques of
motivating students for improving their learning. Researchers in the psychology
of perception, learning and communication have contributed in evolving effective
methods of teaching, preparation of useful teaching aids etc. Thus, one can see
that the relationship between psychology and education is very intimate.