Students of political psychology often point out that foreign policy decision makers selectively perceive international events, with the result that these events can take on quite different meanings depending upon the perceiver. When applied to the East-West conflict that erupted in the wake of World War II, this interpretation of world politics suggests that the superpowers' misperceptions of each other's motives provide a better explanation of the Cold War than explanations based on either conflicting interests or ideologies. Compare Soviet and American images of each other in each of the three phases of the Cold War. To what extent did mirror images and self-fulfilling prophesies contribute to the course of superpower relations across the Cold War era?

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The Answer of Students of political psychology often point out that foreign policy decision makers selectively perceive international events, with the result that these events can take on quite different meanings depending upon the perceiver. When applied to the East-West conflict that erupted in the wake of World War II, this interpretation of world politics suggests that the superpowers' misperceptions of each other's motives provide a better explanation of the Cold War than explanations based on either conflicting interests or ideologies. Compare Soviet and American images of each other in each of the three phases of the Cold War. To what extent did mirror images and self-fulfilling prophesies contribute to the course of superpower relations across the Cold War era?

Students of Political Psychology Often Point Out That Foreign Policy