Psychological Factors During the Foreign Policy Decision-Making Process

Selected Approaches Related To The Foreign Policy Decision-Making Process

In political psychology, several approaches related to the process of making foreign policy decisions have been formed. Historically, the first approach and ideas based on psychoanalysis were presented by S. Freud and his followers. One of the founders of American political psychology, Harold Dwight Lasswell, analyzing the personalities of various political leaders, tried to explain the root causes of their behavior and the decisions they made in foreign policy (Yale University Library, 2020).

As critics of this field note, the tendency to study the methodology of psychoanalysis about the political processes and events ignores non-psychological factors that influence decision-making in foreign policy. This is why the use of psychoanalysis in international politics has become increasingly rare over time. Representatives of other areas of American political psychology focused on the personal qualities of political leaders, primarily presidents, and on the conditions under which certain personal qualities affect the process of making foreign policy decisions. They believed that in the context of a certain international political situation, especially during a crisis, the personal qualities of state leaders are of particular importance.

Within the framework of the process of making foreign policy decisions, the concept of the “Operational Code” has gradually gained recognition and is widely used at the present stage. From a general point of view, it includes a system of basic principles that guide political leaders in determining their foreign policy strategy.

According to the well-known American experts in this field A. George and O. Holst, the code of conduct primarily establishes the rules that allow political leaders to overcome obstacles in making rational decisions. These restrictions include Incomplete information about the situation in which the decision is made, insufficient information about the ratio of goals and means, which, in turn, reduces the predictability of the outcome of the decision (Chitadze, 2016). Significant difficulties arise in determining the selection criterion among the alternative solutions presented. The operational code also includes an understanding of the policy and its goals, general views on political conflicts and ways to resolve them, an understanding of patterns in the development of international political processes, knowledge of political strategy and tactics, as well as recognition of potential political opponents and partners. The existence of the operating code also considers the personal qualities of political leaders, their psychological characteristics, such as willingness to take risks, a propensity for adventurism, or, conversely, increased caution and timidity.