Political Psychology

Citizens of former East Germany who faced surveillance and harassment still show higher psychological distress and systemic inflammation decades later. A new study reveals how "soft" authoritarian repression leaves a lasting physical and mental mark.

A new study published in Archives of Sexual Behavior indicates that rigid thinking about gender isn’t limited to one political side. Both strictly traditional and highly progressive gender beliefs are strongly linked to authoritarianism.

Why do voters support candidates who threaten democracy? A new study suggests that while party loyalty is powerful, holding a strong personal commitment to democratic institutions helps citizens resist antidemocratic politicians at the ballot box.

A new analysis challenges the narrative that Republican lawmakers back Donald Trump purely out of fear. Instead, decades of political realignment have created a unified base, meaning Congress and the president now answer to the exact same voters.

A recent field experiment on Reddit reveals why a vocal minority dominates online political discussions, finding that toxic environments silence the majority while fueling the most active users.

New research suggests that low trait modesty makes men more prone to feeling their gender is unfairly disadvantaged. This perceived victimhood, in turn, strongly predicts support for both conventional and extreme men's rights activism.

Do a politician's consumer habits matter to voters? A recent study finds that Americans will judge candidates based on nonpolitical traits like their coffee order, but usually only when explicit information about their party or policies is absent.

A comprehensive review of 60 years of research reveals that people who participate in protests are driven more by social connections and political interest than by personal grievances, anger, or mistrust of the government.

New research reveals that believing in conspiracy theories directly reduces people's faith in societal fairness, eroding the perception that resources are distributed based on merit, equality, or need.

Public health campaigns often broadcast low vaccination rates to encourage people to get their shots. A recent experiment suggests this strategy might backfire, showing that people adjust their healthcare decisions based on the behavior of opposing political groups.

A sweeping new study of world leaders spanning six decades finds that those with wider facial proportions are slightly more likely to initiate military action, particularly during their first few years in office.

A new analysis of 1.6 million ICE records indicates that despite massive surges in federal immigration arrests, the proportion of those apprehended with actual criminal convictions has dropped sharply.

Abrupt cuts to federal science funding are threatening the American research workforce. A new survey indicates that early career scientists face severe professional disruptions, pushing many to consider leaving the country or abandoning research entirely.

Psychologists have long assumed that people who favor social equality are permanently wired to criticize political institutions. A large new study reveals that as nations achieve greater gender parity, these egalitarians increasingly defend the political status quo.