Political Psychology

New research suggests that Americans are more likely to protest when they feel threatened by the opposing party—not simply because they identify strongly with their own. Across three large studies, feelings of partisan animosity emerged as a key driver of...

A new study analyzing Donald Trump’s campaign speeches suggests he may have experienced a cognitive shift following the 2024 assassination attempt. Researchers found his post-shooting language reflected a return to earlier metaphorical patterns seen during his 2016 presidential campaign.

A new study published in PNAS suggests that moments of political crisis can shift what goes viral. After the Trump assassination attempt and Biden’s campaign suspension, people engaged more with posts expressing unity than with posts attacking the other side.

A new study suggests the strongest driver of conspiracy beliefs about the Trump assassination attempt wasn’t social media or cable news. Instead, researchers found an unexpected social factor that could explain why some people fall for these narratives.

Researchers have uncovered a surprising link between political extremism and emotional chills—those shivers or goosebumps people feel during powerful music or speeches—suggesting that intense bodily reactions may reflect deeper psychological and ideological patterns across the political spectrum.

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris framed the 2024 presidential debate in starkly different terms, according to a new study—but their language also showed surprising overlap in tone, emotional content, and specificity.

Do Americans agree on what “woke” means? A new study suggests yes—up to a point. The term tends to signal different things depending on political identity, especially around race, gender, and alignment with the Democratic Party.

A pair of studies conducted in Spain provides evidence of a striking moral asymmetry in politics: both leftists and rightists feel more morally obligated to defend progressive causes, and conservatives tend to view liberals as more morally upright than vice...

New research suggests that while the brain quickly distinguishes politicians from strangers, it doesn’t initially register political allegiance. The findings challenge assumptions about how early partisan bias kicks in during perception and suggest that party loyalty may emerge later.

A large online study indicates that intellectual humility is linked to less hostility toward political and religious opponents. The effect was seen across political parties and belief systems, and persisted even after controlling for the strength of participants’ convictions.

Long-term data from Britain and the Netherlands reveal that citizens’ populist beliefs rise and fall alongside changes in democratic satisfaction. The research challenges the idea that populist attitudes are static traits and highlights their potential responsiveness to political reforms.

A new study finds that safe space statements can make students feel more comfortable and open in the classroom—but also make instructors seem more liberal and authoritarian. Trigger warnings, by contrast, had no meaningful impact on students’ perceptions.

Belief in anti-immigrant conspiracies may be fueled by financial hardship and a sense of societal breakdown, according to new research. Across six studies, economic stress predicted support for discriminatory policies and even violent actions against non-European immigrants.

Despite growing media focus on demographic anxiety and ethnonationalism, a new study finds most Americans envision a future United States that is more ethnically, racially, and religiously diverse. Very few support the idea of a homogenous national identity.