My Past, My Future Decisions: How Psychological and Anthropological Factors Influence High Level Politicians Decisions

Abstract: Transcultural leadership analysis. The Study will decipher the psychological profile of political leaders through the analysis of their behaviour and personality. Through a psychological and anthropological comparative study, we will describe the factors that affect their behaviour and attitudes in different societies, specifically for this paper we have chosen for the comparative study our own Western society and other Caribbean, Dominican Republic. This selection obeys to the idea to explain what leads a high level politician to decide how he does under certain circumstances and if there is a psychological or anthropological explanation that in some way could help foresee what decision would be taken. The cases chosen are due to, in first place, the high level of clientelism that exists in the Dominican Republic (LAPOP2010), so psychological/anthropological factors which could be used to influence future decisions of high level politicians, and Western Society, in which clientelism is not a factor to take into account, but still, decisions are made under the influence of personal experience.

For this study, we will review the cultural bases behaviour of a leader, studying and analysing the practices of early childhood education (childrearing) and its relation with the configuration of personality structure (school and theories of culture and personality), the influence of systems beliefs, and other important variables that affect the behaviour of the leader as well as its impact on their interaction with followers. This will allow as well to analyse the behaviour of the leader during their term in office.