(in French) Influence of Personality on Politics - A Review

This was the essay for course POL3140 Psychologie Politique directed by Dr Patrick Fournier at Université de Montréal in 2019. A+ achieved.

This paper reviews key studies on the relationship between personality traits and political attitudes and behaviours. It focuses on research conducted since the emergence of the Big Five personality model in the 1980s.

The paper finds personality is linked to politics through its effects on aspects of political choice such as values, participation, and information acquisition. The Big Five traits have become the most frequently studied in politics, providing a consistent framework. Earlier studies focused on specific traits in isolation. Quantitative measurements now capture unique distributions of traits in politics. Contextual factors shed light on personality effects in specific settings. However, most studies employ correlational methods, limiting causal inferences. While personality relates to politics, the extent of “personalization” remains debated.

The paper concludes by considering directions for future research, including experimental and longitudinal designs to clarify causal mechanisms. It provides an interdisciplinary synthesis of a growing literature on the psychology of political thought and action.