Postmodern beliefs linked to left-wing authoritarianism

New research in Applied Cognitive Psychology explores the relationship between postmodern beliefs, psychological distress, and left-wing authoritarianism. The study found that individuals with strong postmodern beliefs are more likely to exhibit authoritarian tendencies, particularly when their levels of psychological distress are low.

The study was motivated by growing political polarization and the increasing prevalence of authoritarian tendencies across the ideological spectrum. While right-wing authoritarianism has been widely studied, left-wing authoritarianism has received comparatively little attention. The researchers aimed to address this gap by examining how psychological factors, such as distress, intersect with postmodern beliefs—characterized by skepticism of universal truths—to foster authoritarian attitudes.

For their study, the researchers recruited 365 participants from diverse backgrounds using an online platform called Prolific. The participants were aged 18 to over 65 and represented various regions, including North America, Europe, and Africa. To ensure a broad representation, the sample included individuals with different levels of education, employment statuses, and political orientations.

Participants completed an online survey, which included several standardized psychological measures. These measures were selected to assess postmodern beliefs, authoritarian tendencies, psychological distress, and social dominance orientation.

The Postmodern Beliefs Scale was used to evaluate participants’ alignment with both liberal and conservative postmodern ideas. While classical postmodernism critiques the concept of objective truth, liberal postmodernism emphasizes that knowledge is shaped by subjective experience within specific historical and social contexts. In contrast, conservative postmodernism adopts a similar skepticism toward objective truth but applies it selectively to challenge areas such as climate science and public health initiatives.

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For example, participants were asked to rate the extent to which they agreed with statements such as “There is too much emphasis in higher education on logic and rational thinking,” “There is no absolute truth, everyone’s truth is unique,” and “All parents should have the right to keep their children from being vaccinated.”

The Left-Wing Authoritarianism Index captured authoritarian attitudes associated with progressive ideologies, including support for censorship and revolutionary measures. For example, items included “Political violence can be constructive when it serves the cause of social justice,” “Getting rid of inequality is more important than protecting the so-called ‘right’ to free speech,” and “If I could remake society, I would put people who currently have the most privilege at the very bottom.”

Psychological distress was measured using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, which asked participants to rate the frequency of distress-related symptoms over the past four weeks, including feeling tired, nervous, worthless, hopeless, and sad.

The findings revealed a significant relationship between postmodern beliefs and left-wing authoritarianism. Participants who strongly endorsed liberal postmodern ideas were more likely to exhibit authoritarian tendencies aligned with progressive ideologies.

“Liberal postmodernism was associated with left-wing authoritarianism,” the researchers wrote. “This is a stark comparison to the postmodernism of the 1960s and 1970s that rejected any form of authority in art, culture or politics. Despite this, these results are in keeping with the findings of other scholars who have noted this iteration of postmodernism is selective in what constitutes power.”

Interestingly, psychological distress played a nuanced role in this relationship. While distress was positively correlated with left-wing authoritarianism, its moderating effect was counterintuitive. The relationship between postmodern beliefs and authoritarian tendencies was stronger among individuals with lower levels of psychological distress.

This finding challenged the researchers’ initial hypothesis that distress would amplify the connection between postmodern beliefs and authoritarian attitudes. Instead, it suggested that other factors, such as group identity and a desire for certainty, might drive the development of authoritarian tendencies among individuals with strong postmodern beliefs.

While the study provides valuable insights, it has several limitations. The reliance on self-reported data introduces the possibility of social desirability bias, particularly when participants are asked about their adherence to egalitarian or authoritarian principles. Additionally, the study’s cross-sectional design makes it difficult to establish causal relationships between psychological distress, postmodern beliefs, and authoritarian tendencies.

Future research could explore the role of group identity in moderating the relationship between postmodern beliefs and authoritarianism. Group identification may provide individuals with a sense of certainty and purpose, reducing distress and fostering ideological rigidity. Longitudinal studies could also examine how these relationships evolve over time and in response to external events, such as political or social crises.

The study, “The Moderating Role of Psychological Distress in the Relationship Between Postmodernism and Left-Wing Authoritarianism,” was authored by Sebastian Deverson, Paul Delfabbro, and Neophytos Georgiou.