Machiavelli in the Ivory Tower Ep. 10: The psychology of nuclear brinkmanship with Rose McDermott

In this episode of Machiavelli in the Ivory Tower, hosts Hanna and Sarah are joined by Rose McDermott, the David and Marianna Fisher University Professor of International Relations at Brown University. Together, they discuss Professor McDermott's recent article with Reid Pauly on the psychology of nuclear brinkmanship, the under-appreciated role of individuals in nuclear decision-making, and similarities and differences between the psychologies of political elites and the general population. They also consider more generally how and where political psychology and behavioral economics can enhance security studies by challenging normative assumptions about nuclear decision-making and shedding light on the ways that individuals actually behave in the face of uncertainty. Their conversation concludes with an exploration of the policy implications of Professor McDermott's findings and ways to more effectively bridge the gap between scholarship and practice.
The Psychology of Nuclear Brinkmanship by Reid B. C. Pauly, Rose McDermott, International Security, Volume 47, Issue 3, Winter 2022/23, direct.mit.edu/isec/article/4...
Putin and the Psychology of Nuclear Brinkmanship by Rose McDermott, Reid Pauly, and Paul Slovic, Foreign Affairs, May 30, 2023, www.foreignaffairs.com/ukrain...
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:16 The psychology of nuclear brinkmanship
04:06 Individuality and nuclear decision-making
07:32 The psychology of elites “in the war room”
12:14 Mad Man theory and practice
16:41 Security studies, behavioral economics, and psychology
20:49 Limits of behavioral economics and psychology for security studies
26:12 Policy implications and bridging the gap