To be, or not to be (surprised by Trump): Part V--Psychology 601

There is a bevy of theories and models for understanding both how individuals interact with one another as well as how individuals interact with groups. The purpose of the following discussion of just two of them is to frame the answer to the question about the nature of the dynamic between Trump and his supporters. The commentary should not be construed as exhaustive.

One model comes from psychoanalysis. Here, it is axiomatic that relationships between authority figures and their subordinates are ripe for both study and interpretation because of their similarity to parent-child relationships. Many of the unconscious interpersonal dynamics are the same, for instance. One such dynamic is projective identification. I remember leaving confused after an hour and a half lecture on this topic during my training. A classmate instantly cleared things up by quipping, "I can't believe she just took 90 minutes to explain the concept of buying into what other people put on you". Twenty five years later, this is still the basis for the definition that I use, clinically and pedagogically.

Leaping to the other side of the psychology spectrum, behaviorism has a good deal to say on point. Here, all models are based on shaping behavior through reinforcement. Two familiar examples of reinforcements are repetition and reward. Lastly and importantly, most of these models aim to modify behavior incrementally.

NOW we're ready to answer the question...