I really enjoyed taking part in a symposium organised by Serena Does and Margaret Shih on the 2016 US Presidential Election.
Michael Slepian presented data on why and how people kept their votes secret, and the implications of this for emotional well-being. I presented data showing that political group identification – usually a source of perceived personal agency – did not predict perceived personal control among Democrats 24 hours following the Election (although this relationship re-emerged 72 hours following the Election). Serena Does presented data on the implications of Trump’s election for perceived gender equity.
This was a great opportunity, providing a chance to debrief on the 2016 Election which, in addition to being a fascinating event in its own right, can teach us a lot about human psychology more broadly.
