Mun Psichology

Model UN Psychology

by J. John Lee

As you train for any given Model UN conference, you will receive exhaustive instruction on the rules of procedure, the basic format of your committee and perhaps some background on the nation or position you will be playing at the conference. All of these elements are important and helpful to success in committee. However, none of them are sufficient to guarantee it. What IS necessary for success is an understanding of the psychology behind Model UN committees.

Before this subject can be tackled in the context of helping you improve your delegate skills, it must first be defined. What I refer to as the "psychology" of Model UN is essentially the intangible social elements of Model UN committees that must be mastered in order to win. Great delegates understand that the key to winning any committee is to project an image that confers authority and credibility upon them. The goal is to become the most influential member of the committee, the delegate that all others reflexively consult on all important aspects of the committee's business. The most influential members (provided that they stay on policy) are generally whom you will see shaking the chair's hand at closing ceremonies, paraded around the room on a litter borne by the conference Secretariat. Yes, that can be you.

All good delegates should keep the following in mind at all times:

* Everyone is there to win. No one is there to be nice or to cooperate or to be helpful. If someone is aiding you, there is a reason. NEVER depend on any other delegate for your success.

* Perception is EVERYTHING. Your D+ in your international security class is completely irrelevant as long as everyone THINKS you are an expert. And if you nailed an A+, that is similarly irrelevant unless you can translate that into perception in committee.

* Visibility is ALSO EVERYTHING. This is particularly true in larger committees. When a chair and his staff is deliberating on awards, he/she almost always has nothing but memory to rely on. The more you are seen and heard, the likelier it is that you will be remembered.

I have encountered many delegates of varying ability during my eight year tenure in the world of Model UN. The best of the best are very dissimilar in many ways at first glance. Each