Individuals who experience more adversity in childhood are more likely to endorse dominant leaders
Childhood experiences can predict leadership preferences in adulthood, according to new research published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences. The findings indicate that people who experience greater adversity in childhood are less likely to invest in social relationships, which...
New study untangles the links between terrorism threat, authoritarian attitudes, and democratic backsliding
The threat of terrorism has been shown to shift societal norms toward authoritarianism. Research published in Political Psychology analyzed data from the 2017 British Election Study (BES) and found that terrorism threat shifts libertarians toward more conservative attitudes. On the...
Study provides first evidence of a causal link between perceived moral division and support for authoritarian leaders
New research indicates that heightened perceptions of moral division intensify support for strong leaders. The study, published in Political Psychology, found that the perceived breakdown of society plays a key role in this relationship.
New psychology research uncovers a surprising tendency among right-wing authoritarians
Right-wing authoritarianism is not necessarily associated with hostility toward outgroups, according to new research published in the scientific journal Political Psychology. Instead, authoritarian individuals appear to "go with the flow" of the prevailing culture.
Exposure to authoritarian messages leads to worsened mood but heightened meaning in life
New psychology research sheds light on why some people embrace authoritarian values. The findings, published in PLOS One, indicate that expressions of authoritarian ideology can enhance a person's sense of meaning in life. "Authoritarianism is a real-world problem," said Jake...
COVID-19 rule breakers characterized by extraversion, amorality and uninformed information-gathering strategies
Scientists have uncovered a cluster of psychological characteristics associated with people who refuse to comply with COVID-19 safety regulations. Their new findings, published in the journal PLOS One, shed light on the individual factors and attitudes underlying deviant behavior during...
Study identifies psychological pathways that explain how narcissism predicts support for Donald Trump
In a new study published in the Journal of Social Psychology, researchers get one step closer to understanding the psychological processes behind support for former U.S. president Donald Trump. The study found that narcissism was related to increased support for...
Exposure to nature might help to reduce a psychological characteristic underlying authoritarianism
People who feel more connected to nature also tend to hold more egalitarian views, according to new research published in the journal Environment and Behavior. The study provides some preliminary evidence that exposure to nature can reduce social dominance orientation,...
Authoritarianism and negative affectivity emerge as personality factors behind problematic behavior during the pandemic
In a study published in Frontiers in Psychology, researchers looked for psychological traits that might explain the maladjusted behaviors witnessed at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. They found that Italians who were higher in right-wing authoritarianism and negative affectivity...
Conservative ideology is a robust and reliable predictor of antiscientific attitudes in the United States
New research published in Group Processes & Intergroup Relations provides evidence that political ideology is one of the most important factors when it comes to predicting distrust of climate science among Americans. The findings indicate that ideology even trumps partisan...
Large study indicates left-wing authoritarianism exists and is a key predictor of psychological and behavioral outcomes
Right-wing authoritarianism is a well-studied personality construct characterized by adherence to conventional values, submission to authority, and aggression towards those who deviate from social norms. New research provides evidence that a similar construct could help to explain authoritarian attitudes and...
New study sheds light on the link between right-wing ideology, cognitive performance, and motivation
There are a number of studies which demonstrate a critical link between endorsement of right-wing ideologies and poorer performance on cognitive tasks. This has led researchers to conclude that, broadly, individuals holding right-wing beliefs are less likely to think about...
Study suggests existential threat stemming from COVID-19 has intensified the link between authoritarianism and anti-immigrant attitudes
New research suggests that existential threat brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic can spur the expression of anti-immigrant and nationalist beliefs among authoritarians. The findings were published in Social Psychological and Personality Science. The authoritarian personality is a well-studied psychological...
Right-wing authoritarians are less skilled at coming up with funny jokes, study suggests
Across three humor production tasks, including one that involved coming up with funny cartoon captions, people who scored high in right-wing authoritarianism created responses that were rated as much less funny compared to their counterparts. The research was published in...
Research sheds light on the cultural and psychological correlates of religion
Psychology is one of the foremost scientific methods for understanding the phenomenon of organized religion and its cognitive, emotional, moral and social dimensions. To explore how these psychological elements map onto and mediate the subjective religious experience, an international team...
