Abstract

Given the important roles political leaders occupy within the international arena, it is vital that we understand the way they behave. In order to better understand a political leader, it is imperative that we analyze their personality traits. This study investigates the methodological applicability of Leadership Trait Analysis by asking the following research question: Is an analysis of social media an effective way to measure the Leadership Trait Analysis personality traits of international leaders? In order to answer this question, the study utilizes Leadership Trait Analysis to analyze the personality traits portrayed within the traditional spontaneous media (interviews/press conferences) for five global leaders and compares the results to the personality traits displayed in their use of social media (Twitter). The five leaders examined in this study are: United States President Donald Trump, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The differences in trait scores between the social and traditional media used by each leader reveal that a Leadership Trait Analysis of social media does not provide the best indication of personality traits. To conclude, this study discusses the potential implications of these results, analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the study, and suggests that future research find a way to incorporate social media into analyses of the personality traits of political leaders.

Advisor

Kille, Kent

Second Advisor

Valdez, John

Department

Political Science

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Keywords

Leadership Trait Analysis, Social Media

Publication Date

2020

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis Exemplar

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