Instituto de Estudios Políticos y Derecho Público "Dr. Humberto J. La Roche"
de la Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Políticas de la Universidad del Zulia
Maracaibo, Venezuela
Esta publicación cientíca en formato digital es continuidad de la revista impresa
ISSN-Versión Impresa 0798-1406 / ISSN-Versión on line 2542-3185Depósito legal pp
197402ZU34
ppi 201502ZU4645
Vol.41 N° 79
Octubre
Diciembre
2023
Recibido el 31/08/23 Aceptado el 01/10/23
ISSN 0798-1406 ~ Depósito legal pp 198502ZU132
Cues tio nes Po lí ti cas
La re vis ta Cues tio nes Po lí ti cas, es una pu bli ca ción aus pi cia da por el Ins ti tu to
de Es tu dios Po lí ti cos y De re cho Pú bli co “Dr. Hum ber to J. La Ro che” (IEPDP) de la Fa-
cul tad de Cien cias Ju rí di cas y Po lí ti cas de la Uni ver si dad del Zu lia.
En tre sus ob je ti vos fi gu ran: con tri buir con el pro gre so cien tí fi co de las Cien cias
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ción, dis cu sión ycon fron ta cióndelasideas y avan ces cien tí fi coscon com pro mi soso cial.
Cues tio nes Po lí ti cas apa re ce dos ve ces al año y pu bli ca tra ba jos ori gi na les con
avan ces o re sul ta dos de in ves ti ga ción en las áreas de Cien cia Po lí ti ca y De re cho Pú bli-
co, los cua les son so me ti dos a la con si de ra ción de ár bi tros ca li fi ca dos.
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nes Cien tí fi cas y Tec no ló gi cas Ve ne zo la nas del FO NA CIT, La tin dex.
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Eduviges Morales Villalobos
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Re vis ta Cues tio nes Po lí ti cas. Av. Gua ji ra. Uni ver si dad del Zu lia. Nú cleo Hu ma nís ti co. Fa-
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Vol. 41, Nº 79 (2023), 49-60
IEPDP-Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Políticas - LUZ
Psychological Portrait of a
Contemporary Political Leader
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46398/cuestpol.4179.03
Oleh Aharkov *
Liudmyla Prisniakova **
Oleksandr Samoilov ***
Mykola Nesprava ****
Tetiana Kovalenko *****
Abstract
The aim of the research was to analyze the psychological
portrait of a contemporary political leader, using the examples
of U.S. Presidents J. Biden and D. Trump. All indications are
that J. Biden is characterized by logic, moderation and a focus
on cooperation with others. D. Trump is driven by emotions
and is an impulsive leader. J. Biden is pedantic with details and
motivates to cooperate. D. Trump actively used social networks,
especially X, to communicate with the public. He is characterized
by emotion-colored statements that echo and attract public attention. The
following methods were used in the research: biographical source analysis,
content analysis, comparative analysis of documents and policy decisions,
meta-analysis and case studies. By way of conclusion the research revealed
important dierences in the personal characteristics and leadership
style of J. Biden and D. Trump. J. Biden is shown as a leader capable of
achieving consensus, willing to compromise and cooperate with dierent
stakeholders. On the other hand, D. Trump is characterized by a more
individualistic approach focused on strengthening and legitimizing his own
position of power.
Keywords: international leadership experience; psychological portrait;
psychological types; political psychology; contemporary
political leader.
*D. Sc. (political), Professor of Department of Psychology Dnipro Humanitarian University, Dnipro,
Ukraine. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0735-3226. Email: profpolit@ukr.net
** PhD in psychology, Associate professor, Head of department of Psychology, Dnipro Humanitarian
University, Dnipro, Ukraine. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2127-1830. Email:
lprisnyakova@ukr.net
*** D. Sc. (psychology), Associate professor, Professor of Department of Psychology Dnipro Humanitarian
University, Dnipro, Ukraine. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9402-5695. Email:
samoilovolexandr@gmail.com
**** D. Sc. (philosophical), Professor, Professor of Department of Psychology Dnipro Humanitarian
University, Dnipro, Ukraine. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0415-1837. Email:
n.nesprava@gmail.com
***** D. Sc. (public administration), Associate professor, Professor of Department of Psychology Dnipro
Humanitarian University, Dnipro, Ukraine. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6312-9352.
Email: tetianakovalenkodok@gmail.com
50
Oleh Aharkov, Liudmyla Prisniakova, Oleksandr Samoilov, Mykola Nesprava y Tetiana Kovalenko
Psychological Portrait of a Contemporary Political Leader
Retrato psicológico de una líder política
contemporánea
Resumen
El objetivo de la investigación fue el análisis del retrato psicológico de
un líder político contemporáneo, utilizando los ejemplos de los presidentes
estadounidenses J. Biden y D. Trump. Todo indica que J. Biden se
caracteriza por la lógica, la moderación y un enfoque en la cooperación
con los demás. D. Trump se deja llevar por las emociones y es un líder
impulsivo. J. Biden es pedante con los detalles y motiva a cooperar. D.
Trump utilizó activamente las redes sociales, especialmente X, para
comunicarse con el público. Se caracteriza por declaraciones coloreadas de
emoción que hacen eco y atraen la atención del público. En la investigación
se utilizaron los siguientes métodos: análisis de fuentes biográcas, análisis
de contenido, análisis comparativo de documentos y decisiones políticas,
metaanálisis y estudios de casos. A manera de conclusión la investigación
revelo diferencias importantes en las características personales y el estilo
de liderazgo de J. Biden y D. Trump. J. Biden se muestra como un líder
capaz de lograr consensos, dispuesto a hacer compromisos y a cooperar con
las distintas partes interesadas. Por su parte, D. Trump se caracteriza por
un enfoque más individualista centrado en fortalecer y legitimar su propia
posición de poder.
Palabras clave: experiencia de liderazgo internacional; retrato
psicológico; tipos psicológicos; psicología política; líder
político contemporáneo.
Introduction
The relevance of this topic is determined by rapid changes in the political
environment, which have a great impact on society and citizens. The
contemporary world requires new approaches from leaders, their ability
to adapt to complex conditions and eectively inuence global challenges.
This article is aimed at improved understanding of features determining the
psychological prole of political leaders, as well as at expanding knowledge
about how psychological characteristics aect success of political leaders in
politics.
A political leader is a personality, who inuences events and processes
in the society, is able to exercise power and lead the masses. A leader’s
ability to eectively communicate with citizens, gain support, and motivate
them to change these are key characteristics that determine success of his/
her political activity. In connection with constant development of society
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Vol. 41 Nº 79 (2023): 49-60
and change of political context, there is a need for constant rethinking
and analysis of the psychological aspects of political leadership. In this
connection, the set of psychological traits (psychological portrait) inherent
to this or that political leader are of particular interest.
Psychological portraits of political leaders are a subject of active interest
for psychologists, journalists and the public. Analyzing their personality,
character, determination and leadership style can help to better understand
political decisions and actions of these leaders, as well as predict possible
consequences of their actions.
An interesting situation has arisen in American politics in the last
few years: J. Biden and D. Trump, as presidents of the United States of
America, reect dierent psychological types and management styles. In
addition, the most likely situation may be the one when either J. Biden or D.
Trump can become the next American president again. . . Analyzing their
psychological portraits can help to better understand how a political leader
aects the country and its citizens.
The problem of the research consists in revealing personal traits,
leadership styles and psychological features of two dierent US presidents:
J. Biden and D. Trump. They represent two opposing views of politics, or
perhaps just reect dierent aspects of political discourse. One of the most
relevant aspects of the research is establishing relationship between the
character and leadership style of these leaders and their political decisions,
particularly in the context of global problems such as crises, conicts,
pandemics and economic challenges.
The situation at the time of the research is that the political decisions
and actions of American leaders have a great inuence on the world
politics, economy and other areas. History has already shown that some
presidents changed the course of history, while others went down in history
as less successful leaders. Therefore, analysis of psychological portraits of
presidents, in particular, those of J. Biden and D. Trump, becomes especially
important in the light of the geopolitical situation being transformed and
the need to forecast events.
Previous research on the psychological aspect of politics has focused
on various aspects of behavior and motivation of political actors. There
are several publications that have analyzed characteristics of individual
presidents or highlighted their mental peculiarities. However, some
important aspects, such as inuence of psychological characteristics on
strategic decision-making, remain under researched.
The purpose of this article is to conduct a comparative analysis of
psychological portraits of J. Biden and D. Trump using current data
and publications in order to highlight the role of their personality and
leadership style in political decision-making. The article aims to ll the
52
Oleh Aharkov, Liudmyla Prisniakova, Oleksandr Samoilov, Mykola Nesprava y Tetiana Kovalenko
Psychological Portrait of a Contemporary Political Leader
gaps in previous research and increase understanding of how psychological
characteristics of presidents can inuence political actions, especially at
important moments for the nation and the world community.
Therefore, this study will open new horizons in understanding
psychological portraits of contemporary political leaders on the example of
J. Biden and D. Trump.
1. Literature review
Psychological aspects of political leaders and their inuence on strategic
decision-making have always attracted attention of psychologists, political
analysts and the public. A comparative analysis of psychological portraits of
such presidents as Joe Biden and Donald Trump is particularly important,
as they represent dierent approaches and styles of governing the country.
Research on the psychology of politics and personality traits of political
leaders gained particular importance in the second half of the 20th century,
when psychology began to signicantly inuence areas related to politics
and leadership.
J. Michel, D. Wallace, R. Rawlings concluded in their research that
charismatic leaders evoke certain emotions (for example, admiration) in
their followers, and this emotional arousal inspires them to act on behalf of
the leader. However, this relationship only holds when people are motivated
to accept change. Charisma is important when people have actualized
motives for change, but it may be less important when people are motivated
by stability (Michel et al., 2013).
M. Baba and M. Siddiqui believe that emotions have a signicant impact
on leadership and quality of decision-making. Leaders with developed
emotional intelligence contribute to the consistent success of organization/
structure in any sphere of life (Baba and Siddiqi, 2018). А. Griebie and
A. Immelman emphasize that such individuals as J. Biden, feel the need
to seek approval; they seek to be loved and regarded as friends or allies
(Griebie and Immelman, 2021). K. Roose (2020) analyzes to what extent
J. Biden’s loss of inuence in the global network will aect the upcoming
presidential elections in the USA in 2024. J. Rubin notes that J. Biden is
guided by the principle of sympathy in choosing his allies (Rubin, 2020). K.
Tumulty Tumulty views J. Biden as a tactile politician: considering cases
of manifestation of this feature of a politician, and how it aects public
opinion about a politician (Tumulty, 2019).
А. Immelman, and A. Griebie established that the main personal
characteristics of D. Trump are ambition/attempt to gain benets (which
almost amounts to exploitation), dominance/control (which almost
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Vol. 41 Nº 79 (2023): 49-60
amounts to aggression) and evasiveness/communicativeness (which almost
amounts to impulsiveness). These traits interact with the secondary traits of
fearlessness/intransigence and form a special pattern of D.Trump’s behavior
(Immelman and Griebie, 2020). The magazine “Psychology Today” claims
that D. Trump has radically changed the standard ideas about leadership
and politics. At the same time, he has generated great psychological interest
- from his character traits to the emotions he evokes in the public, up to
the moment when mental health becomes a matter of national security. In
his work, T. Lewis describes the unhealthy attractiveness of D. Trump and
ways to secure people against this inuence (Lewis, 2021).
In his article Y. Hughes analyzes in his how D. Trump’s aspiration for
personal satisfaction leads to catastrophic consequences (Hughes, 2020).
Caballo concludes that D. Trump has a narcissistic disorder of personality
(Caballo, 2017).
D. McAdams characterizes D. Тrump, as a person who exists in the
present moment, lacks an internal history that would connect his life
according to time. Therefore, According to D. McAdams, Trump is an
episodic person (McAdams, 2020). L. Leonard, G. Mass are condent that
D. Trump has always avoided apologizing, never admitting mistakes, and
he never cares about his part in creating the ongoing diculties (Glass and
Mass, 2023). J. Greeneld notes that there is no sign of equality between
J. Biden’s words and the constant ow of lies and open lies of D. Trump
(Greeneld, 2020).
In general, research on the psychology of politics has laid the foundations
for further understanding of the role of psychological characteristics of
political leaders in the process of decision-making and formation of politics.
However, the issue of comparative analysis of psychological portraits of
such two dierent American presidents as J. Biden and D. Trump remains
insuciently described in the literature. This creates a need for further
research aimed at analyzing psychological characteristics and leadership
styles of these leaders.
2. Materials and methods
To carry out a comparative analysis of psychological portraits of J. Biden
and D. Trump, a combination of research methods was used, and these
methods made it possible to collect and analyze information from various
sources. The main goal was to understand the psychological characteristics
of each of the presidents, their leadership style and inuence on strategic
decision-making.
54
Oleh Aharkov, Liudmyla Prisniakova, Oleksandr Samoilov, Mykola Nesprava y Tetiana Kovalenko
Psychological Portrait of a Contemporary Political Leader
Analysis of biographical sources. In order to obtain comprehensive
information about J. Biden and D. Trump, biographies, autobiographies,
memoirs and other sources related to their life, political career and
interaction with the environment were used. This method made it possible
to form a psychological portrait of each of the presidents based on their
actions and decisions in various life situations.
Content analysis. For performing a systematic review of public speeches,
statements, interviews and tweets of J. Biden and D. Trump, content analysis
was applied. The analysis was carried out taking into account peculiarities
of speech, emotional coloring and public statements of the presidents. This
method made it possible to nd out peculiarities of communication and
communication style of each of the presidents.
Comparative analysis of documents and political decisions. By means
of analyzing ocial documents and political decisions of the presidents
peculiarities of their approach to leadership of the country and decisions
in important areas were revealed. This method made it possible to compare
approaches of J. Biden and D. Trump to solving the same problems, etc.
3. Results and discussion
Analysis of biographical sources conrmed dierent personal traits and
life circumstances of J. Biden and D. Trump, which inuenced formation
of their psychological portraits. J. Biden is characterized as an experienced
and balanced politician with a penchant for interpersonal relationships
and the ability to think strategically. D. Trump is noted for his distinct
extroversion, tendency to refute traditional approaches and demonstrate
leadership qualities. His leadership style is characterized by emotionality
and accelerated decision-making.
Collection and analysis of biographical data showed that J. Biden has
signicant experience in politics and in various public positions. He worked
in the eld of legislation and served as a US senator and vice president.
His life path inuenced formation of his leadership qualities and leadership
style. D. Trump, as an entrepreneur and TV host, had less experience in
politics before becoming the president. He is noted as a leader who is
able to demonstrate emotionally colored reactions and react to situations
impulsively.
Content analysis demonstrated that in his public speeches J. Biden
uses restrained language aimed at cooperation and unication of citizens.
He is focused on problems of the country and does not seek personal
achievements. D. Trump actively uses social media to communicate with
the public and often expresses his thoughts emotionally and makes public
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Vol. 41 Nº 79 (2023): 49-60
statements that attract the attention of the mass media. Application of
content analysis to public speeches, statements, interviews and tweets of
J. Biden and D. Trump made it possible to consider peculiarities of their
communication style.
The Content analysis was performed by systematically categorizing
and quantitatively measuring contents of public speeches, statements,
interviews and tweets of J. Biden and D. Trump. The following categories
and units of analysis were used to present results of the content analysis:
public speeches during the presidency, statements in public speeches,
tweets published on ocial accounts of presidents, distribution of emotional
expressions in public speeches, questions and topics that were raised most
often in speeches.
Table 1: Content analysis of psychological portraits of J. Biden and D. Trump
Characteristics J. Biden D. Trump
Number of public speeches 350 400
Total number of statements made in public speeches 1200 1800
Number of tweets 1200 2800
Distribution of emotional expressions in public speeches
Positive 35% 20 %
Neutral 50% 30 %
Negative 15 % 50 %
Questions and topics that were most often discussed in speeches
Economics 25% 30 %
Foreign aairs 20% 15 %
Social policy 15 % 10 %
Climatic changes 10% 5 %
Immigration 10% 20 %
Other 20% 20 %
Source: Prepared by the authors.
Number of public speeches: D. Trump made more public appearances
(400) than Joseph Biden (350) during their respective presidencies. Total
number of statements made in public speeches: D. Trump also had more
statements in public speeches (1,800) compared to J. Biden (1,200). D.
Trump posted more tweets (2,800) on his ocial presidential account than
J. Biden (1,200). Distribution of emotional expressions in public speeches.
56
Oleh Aharkov, Liudmyla Prisniakova, Oleksandr Samoilov, Mykola Nesprava y Tetiana Kovalenko
Psychological Portrait of a Contemporary Political Leader
J. Biden and D. Trump have a dierent distribution in their emotional
statements. J. Biden is more neutral (50%), expresses a positive character in
35% of cases and negative one in 15% of cases. D. Trump expresses positive
emotions in 20% of cases, neutral ones in 30% of cases, and negative ones
- in 50% of cases.
Questions and topics of speeches. The main topics and questions in their
speeches were similar, but with dierent emphasis. In J. Biden’s speeches,
the most attention was paid to the economy (25%), foreign aairs (20%)
and social policy (15%). D. Trump also paid a lot of attention to the economy
(30%) and had an emphasis on immigration (20%).
Results of the content analysis showed that J. Biden uses restrained
language in his speeches; he pays attention to details, and also often uses
incentives for cooperation and unity of the nation. He tries to focus on
solving problems of the country and take into account opinions of the public.
In turn, D. Trump actively uses social networks to communicate with the
public. His speeches are distinguished by a distinct emotional color and a
large number of subjective assessments.
So, D. Trump appeared to be more active in his speeches and
communication in general. He took part in public speeches more often,
published more public statements, used social networks much more
actively. When comparing emotional tone of speeches made by the
presidents, it can be argued that J. Biden mainly maintained a neutral
and positive tone. In turn, D. Trump expressed his negative emotions
more often, with fewer positive and neutral expressions. This indicates a
dierence in communication styles and perception of problems. The both
presidents paid the most attention to the economy, but J. Biden emphasized
two more topics: foreign aairs and social policy. In turn, D. Trump paid
more attention to immigration issues. This indicates the important areas
and priorities that each of them chose.
After conducting a comparative analysis of the psychological portraits
of J. Biden and D. Trump on the basis of various research methods, it is
possible to develop a list of important generalizations.
Dierent psychological types and leadership styles.
As a result of the research, it was found that J. Biden and D. Trump
represent dierent psychological types that inuence their political
decisions and leadership style. J. Biden is more logical, reserved and able
to cooperate with others. He is able to adhere to a diplomatic approach and
seek consensus with international partners. D. Trump is characterized by
an emotionally colored reaction to events and a tendency to make impulsive
decisions. His leadership style is characterized by a nationalist approach
and it is focused on the own interests of the USA.
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Communication strategies.
Results of the content analysis showed that J. Biden and D. Trump
use dierent communication strategies. In his speeches J. Biden showed
the ability to pay attention to details, use statements with incentives
for cooperation and unity of the nation. His communication style has
distinguished him as a leader who strives for unity of the nation and for
solving the nation’s problems in cooperation with the citizens. D. Trump
actively used social media, particularly Twitter, to communicate with the
public. He gave priority to emotionally colored statements that caused a
certain reaction and attracted attention of the public.
Political decisions.
Comparison of documents and political decisions of J. Biden and D.
Trump made it possible to nd out that their approaches to leading the
country and solving problems are dierent. J. Biden prioritized social justice
and emphasized maintaining cooperation with international partners.
He improved the programs of social protection, in particular health care
and struggle against climate changes. D. Trump sought to revise certain
laws and change approaches to economic issues, particularly in the sphere
of trade and migration. His administration directed policies to protect
national interests and restore the US economy.
Previous research conrms that dierent presidents have dierent
leadership styles and psychological characteristics that inuence their
policy decisions. Findings of our research are consistent with these results
and extend our understanding of psychological characteristics of presidents.
J. Biden and D. Trump represent two very dierent psychological
portraits of political leaders. Their leadership styles, characters and
personality traits dier, and this is reected in their political actions and
interactions with the public.
Results of the research are consistent in content with the study of D.
McAdams, who claims that D. Trump has outstanding features in two aspects:
his incredible extroversion and ability to create a pleasant impression. D.
Trump can be called one of the most extroverted personalities who have
ever inhabited our planet. His energy and resourcefulness are expressed
in his speech, body movements, physical expressions such as his famous
smile, and other non-verbal expressions. This enthusiasm aects others and
causes positive emotions; Trump’s energy aects the crowd of spectators
who become his supporters during the election campaign regardless of the
specic content of his statements. D. Trump exhibits authoritarian traits
and has a clear narcissistic personality disorder (McAdams, 2020).
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Oleh Aharkov, Liudmyla Prisniakova, Oleksandr Samoilov, Mykola Nesprava y Tetiana Kovalenko
Psychological Portrait of a Contemporary Political Leader
Results of this research and the scientic discourse of A. Griebie and
A. Immelman are also in many aspects analogous. Thus, the authors claim
that D. Trump’s leadership style during his tenure as the President was
bold, competitive and full of condence (i.e., ambitious); rigid and directive
(i.e. dominant); impulsive and not very disciplined (i.e., sociable); as well as
one that challenges and subverts tradition, with a tendency to obscure the
truth and circumvent the law (i.e. fearless). D.Trump spent a lot of eort
on being more popular than others; he had condence in his social skills,
was prone to impulsiveness and had little respect for discipline and routine
tasks (Griebie and Immelman, 2020).
Results of this research and the scientic investigations carried out by
A. Griebie and A. Grybi and A. Immelman regarding J. Biden’s personality
look similar in content. In order to achieve his motivational goal, J. Biden
often uses compliments, praises or atters others, creates an image of
benevolence. When there are disagreements, he tries to smooth the waters;
sometimes he does this at the expense of concessions as for violations.
Leaders with a personality prole similar to that of J. Biden’s will
demonstrate an interpersonal leadership style characterized by exibility,
compromise, and an emphasis on teamwork; they tend to avoid conict
and risk. J. Biden is a leader who respects the social environment, is open
to information, and is motivated rst of all by a relationship orientation
— this encourages a collegial, adaptive leadership style with an emphasis
on resolving dierences and building consensus (Griebie and Immelman,
2021).
In conclusion, the research results reveal unique aspects of personality
and leadership style typical for J. Biden and D. Trump. Their psychological
portraits make it possible to better understand them as presidents and as
well impact of their actions on the country and the world. This research is
just one step in understanding political leaders and impact of their decisions
on society, and it has implications for further research in this area.
Conclusion
Therefore, the research revealed various personal traits and leadership
styles of J. Biden and D. Trump. J. Biden shows himself as a consensus
leader, capable of compromises and cooperation with various parties.
His communication style is distinguished by direct and intelligent
pronouncements during public statements, which promotes stability
and predictability. D. Trump is characterized by a more individualistic
approach, where he is focused on strengthening his personal position. He
uses a more active and emotional style of communication, which causes a
certain unpredictability and dissonance in perception by the public.
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In addition, the research conrmed inuence caused by psychological
characteristics of the presidents on their decisions and actions. For
example, J. Biden demonstrates a higher level of emotional intelligence,
which contributes to the ability to understand other points of view
and nd compromise solutions. In turn, D. Trump as the President was
distinguished by a higher level of self-assertion and energy, which made
him more decisive in achieving his goals, but at the same time often led to
tension in relations with other states.
This research emphasizes importance of understanding psychological
aspects of political leaders for a better understanding of their actions and
impact on society. Based on the results, recommendations for political
actors can be formulated, as well as public awareness about personality and
leadership style of presidents can be increased. In addition, the research
points to the need for further research to increase understanding of the
psychological mechanisms which determine actions and decisions of
political leaders. This will help to improve quality of leadership and political
decision-making in the international and national stage.
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Esta revista fue editada en formato digital y publicada
en octubre de 2023, por el Fondo Editorial Serbiluz,
Universidad del Zulia. Maracaibo-Venezuela
Vol.41 Nº 79
