Political Psychology

A new study in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin suggests liberals and conservatives share a common moral foundation of preventing harm. Deep political divides emerge because the two sides see different people as vulnerable victims.

When choosing between milk and eggs, Democrats and Republicans buy the exact same grocery items. However, a neuroimaging study shows that their brains use entirely different neural pathways to make those identical decisions.

A new study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin suggests that public support for wealth redistribution is driven by beliefs about fairness rather than jealousy. It provides evidence that the "politics of envy" narrative is inaccurate.

Do political beliefs dictate how we view the realities of war? A new study reveals that conservatives consistently accept higher numbers of unintended civilian casualties than liberals do, driven by fundamental differences in core moral values.

People with high childhood intelligence scores often hold progressive social views as adults. A new study suggests that this progressive shift is not innate, but heavily depends on experiencing the academic environments unique to a college campus.

An analysis spanning fifty years reveals that the cost of gasoline is one of the strongest predictors of presidential approval ratings, acting in an uneven pattern where initial price spikes cause the most political damage for the incumbent.

New research suggests that while open-mindedness and liberal ideology often go hand-in-hand, they are different traits. Actively open-minded thinking, rather than political liberalism, is the true driving force behind healthy reasoning and resistance to misinformation.

A recent study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggests people consistently overestimate how much their political peers will judge them for changing their minds. This exaggerated fear tends to stifle open public discourse through self-censorship.

Research published in Injury Epidemiology suggests widespread extremist attitudes among military veterans are rare. While veterans are not broadly prone to political violence, the study notes that those who do radicalize remain highly dangerous.

A recent study shows that transporting migrants to cities far from the border amplified voters' fears about crime. This localized policy increased conservative turnout and pushed swing voters toward Donald Trump during the 2024 election.

New research shows the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests didn't just mobilize existing voters. By shifting public attitudes on racial inequality, the massive demonstrations significantly increased local Democratic support in the presidential election.

How we handle uncertainty might shape our politics. Research in Personality and Individual Differences indicates that a lower tolerance for ambiguity is associated with right-wing authoritarianism and populist attitudes, which tends to predict radical right voting.

A new study reveals that conservatives tend to view sustainable actions as less impactful than liberals do. This divide is driven by how uncommon these eco-friendly behaviors appear to be within their own political circles.

American political divisions surged between 2008 and 2020, but this trend is not happening globally. A new study in Royal Society Open Science uses machine learning to reveal how cultural issues drive these distinct political splits worldwide.

A recent study published in the journal Mindfulness suggests that treating oneself with kindness is linked to a preference for social equality. The research provides evidence that empathy bridges the gap between personal well-being and broader societal harmony.