Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Neuroscience
  • About
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Social Psychology Political Psychology

The link between winning elections and satisfaction with democracy is bigger for men than it is for women

by Eric W. Dolan
November 26, 2020
in Political Psychology
Share on TwitterShare on Facebook
Don't miss out! Follow PsyPost on Bluesky!

New research has found that electoral victory leads to a bigger boost in satisfaction with democracy for men than for women. The findings appear in the journal Electoral Studies.

“There is a lot of research showing that people who vote for victorious parties and candidates feel more positively about democracy, while the reverse is true of electoral losers. This is important, as democracies are stronger when seen as legitimate by the public,” said study author Shane P. Singh, a professor at the University of Georgia.

“There is also good reason to believe that men and women are affected differently by electoral victory. My coauthors, Neil Williams and Alexandra Snipes, and I wanted to investigate this.”

Using data from the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems, the researchers found that people who voted for a victorious candidate tended to report being more satisfied with the way democracy works in their country than those who voted for the losing candidate. But the effect on of electoral victory on satisfaction with democracy was smaller for women than for men.

The Comparative Study of Electoral Systems dataset includes nationally-representative post-election surveys from dozens of countries.

“The link between winning elections and satisfaction with democracy is bigger for men than it is for women. This is likely because men relish victory more due to gender-based differences in political socialization and because gender imbalances in political representation lead women to feel that they do not have as much ‘skin in the game,'” Singh told PsyPost.

When there was a higher percentage of women in the nation’s legislature, the researchers found there was a smaller gender gap in winner boosts in satisfaction with democracy.

But the study — like all research — includes some caveats.

“While the associations we detect are robust, this research was completely observational and based on post-election survey data, meaning we cannot be certain that the gender-based disparity in the impact of winning on satisfaction is not driven by some uncontrolled factors,” Singh explained.

The study, “Gender differences in the impact of electoral victory on satisfaction with democracy“, was published September 30, 2020.

(Photo credit: CityofStPete/Flickr)

TweetSendScanShareSendPinShareShareShareShareShare

RELATED

People with psychopathic traits fail to learn from painful outcomes
Narcissism

National narcissism linked to emotional impairments and dehumanization, new study finds

July 7, 2025

A new study suggests that people who see their nation as uniquely important often struggle with recognizing emotions and experience more anger and contempt—factors that may help explain why they’re more likely to dehumanize both outsiders and fellow citizens.

Read moreDetails
Fascinating study reveals how Trump’s moral rhetoric diverges from common Republican language
Donald Trump

Viral AI-images highlight how Trump engages in “victimcould,” scholar argues

July 6, 2025

How can one of the world's most powerful men also be its biggest victim? A new paper argues it’s a political strategy based on hypothetical, not actual, harm—a concept the author calls “victimcould” used to justify present-day aggression.

Read moreDetails
New study suggests Donald Trump’s “fake news” attacks are backfiring
Political Psychology

Scientists are uncovering more and more unsettling facts about our politics

July 5, 2025

Why has politics become so personal? The answers may lie in our minds. These 13 studies from the new science of political behavior reveal the hidden psychological forces—from personality to primal fear—that are driving us further apart.

Read moreDetails
These common sounds can impair your learning, according to new psychology research
Political Psychology

Despite political tensions, belief in an impending U.S. civil war remains low

July 4, 2025

A new national survey finds that only a small fraction of Americans believe civil war is likely or necessary.

Read moreDetails
Racial and religious differences help explain why unmarried voters lean Democrat
Political Psychology

Student loan debt doesn’t deter civic engagement — it may actually drive it, new research suggests

July 3, 2025

Americans with student loan debt are more likely to vote and engage in political activities than those without debt, likely because they see government as responsible and capable of addressing their financial burden through policy change.

Read moreDetails
Scientists just uncovered a surprising illusion in how we remember time
Mental Health

New research suggests the conservative mental health advantage is a myth

July 3, 2025

Do conservatives really have better mental well-being than liberals? A new study suggests the answer depends entirely on how you ask. The well-known ideological gap disappears when "mental health" is replaced with the less-stigmatized phrase "overall mood."

Read moreDetails
New psychology study sheds light on mysterious “feelings of presence” during isolation
Political Psychology

People who think “everyone agrees with me” are more likely to support populism

July 1, 2025

People who wrongly believe that most others share their political views are more likely to support populist ideas, according to a new study. These false beliefs can erode trust in democratic institutions and fuel resentment toward political elites.

Read moreDetails
Radical leaders inspire stronger devotion because they make followers feel significant, study finds
Political Psychology

Radical leaders inspire stronger devotion because they make followers feel significant, study finds

June 28, 2025

A new study finds that voters are more motivated by radical political leaders than moderates, because supporting bold causes makes them feel personally significant—driving greater activism, sacrifice, and long-term engagement across elections in the United States and Poland.

Read moreDetails

SUBSCRIBE

Go Ad-Free! Click here to subscribe to PsyPost and support independent science journalism!

STAY CONNECTED

LATEST

Neuroscientists decode how people juggle multiple items in working memory

Inside the bored brain: Unlocking the power of the default mode network

Choline imbalance in the brain linked to with cognitive symptoms in young depression patients

Scientists who relocate more often start Nobel research up to two years earlier

Sedentary time linked to faster brain aging in older adults, study finds

People with short-video addiction show altered brain responses during decision-making

New study uncovers a surprising effect of cold-water immersion

Being adopted doesn’t change how teens handle love and dating

         
       
  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions
[Do not sell my information]

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy