Political Psychology

The human fear of death (dread) creates a profound existential anxiety. To cope with this, people are driven to seek psychological security and a sense of order. In a political context, this search for security can lead them toward centrist positions.

The centrist approach is seen as a safe haven that offers stability and avoids the chaos and radicalism of political extremes. Embracing moderation and consensus provides a sense of control and predictability, thereby helping to alleviate the deep-seated anxiety associated with the awareness of one's own mortality.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2OUL8Bwfx3UqVtJrqsbCfK?si=92d8a8801be74499

Death, Dread, and the Desire for the Center: How Our Fear of Mortality Shapes Political Views Psicología Política · Episode

New Research Reveals How Ideology Shapes Our Political Choices Published: 12 April 2025 A new study published today in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications raises provocative questions about how we make political decisions. The research, conducted by Monzel, Grünhage, and Reuter (2025), challenges the popular notion that modern voters primarily select candidates based on individual policy positions rather than along ideological lines. Do We Really Vote on Issues Alone? For decades, political scientists have observed an apparent increase in 'issue voting'—that is, citizens choosing parties based on specific policy stances rather than party loyalty or broad ideology....

The Myth of Issue Voting New Research Reveals How Ideology Shapes Our Political Choices Published: 12 April 2025 A new study published today in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications raises provocative questions abo…

Introduction Political loyalty is a fundamental aspect of democratic systems, but when does ordinary political support transform into something more extreme—a personality cult? This question has gained particular relevance in contemporary American politics, with former President Donald Trump inspiring what many observers have described as cult-like devotion among his most ardent supporters. A recent study published in the journal Political Psychology by Benjamin E. Goldsmith and Lars J. K. Moen (2025) offers fascinating insights into this phenomenon through the lens of personality psychology. In their article, "The personality of a personality cult?...

The Psychology Behind Extreme Political Loyalty: Inside the Trump Personality Cult Introduction Political loyalty is a fundamental aspect of democratic systems, but when does ordinary political support transform into something more extreme—a personality cult? This question has ga…

New Blog Post: Bridging the Political Divide

Groundbreaking research has uncovered a simple yet powerful method to reduce political polarization in the US.

📊 Key Findings:
• Americans overestimate political differences
• Showing shared values between parties can change perceptions
• A new way of visualizing data makes a big difference!

💡 The study reveals:
• Reduced dehumanization of political opponents
• Increased belief in the potential for compromise
• More hope for America's future

🤔 Did you know? There's a 90.9% overlap in fundamental values between Republicans and Democrats!

This research offers a ray of hope in our divided times. Could changing how we see our differences be the key to a more united future?

Read the full blog post to learn more about this innovative approach and its potential to reshape American politics. Let's start a conversation about finding common ground!



What do you think? Can visualizing our similarities make a difference? Share your thoughts below! 👇

Bridging the Political Divide: New Research Reveals Promising Approach to Reduce Polarisation and Increase Hope in America As someone who earned their PhD from the University of Essex, I’m always eager to share exciting research coming out of my alma mater. Today, I’m thrilled to discuss a groundbreaking st…

New Episode Alert: Political Psychology Podcast

"Populism and Economic Hardships"

Dive into the intricate web connecting populism's rise and the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis! Our latest episode unravels this complex relationship through the lenses of affective political economy (APE) and political psychology.

🌍 Journey with us across the US, UK, Spain, Brazil, and Chile as we explore:
• How economic grievances morphed into cultural anxieties
• The birth of global populist movements
• The critical role of emotions in political behaviour

🔍 Witness the far-reaching consequences:
• Unemployment spikes and harsh austerity measures
• Widespread social discontent fueling populist flames
• The reshaping of the global political landscape

From Trump's ascent in the US to Brexit's emotional pull in the UK, we show how populist leaders capitalized on fears and uncertainties, giving voice to marginalized ideologies and altering nations' trajectories.

🧠 Gain a comprehensive understanding through our analysis of critical case studies. Don't miss this insightful exploration of how economic catastrophes can fundamentally shift political realities!

🎧 Listen and Subscribe Now! Available on all major podcast platforms.





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The Age of Discontent: Populism and Democracy Explained by Psicología Política Dive deep into the intricate connections between the rise of populism and the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis in our latest analysis! Uncover how economic grievances transformed into cultural anxieties, sparking populist movements across the US, UK, Spain, Brazil, and Chile through the lens o...

¡EN VIVO! Cognición Política y Cumbre de Líderes de América del Norte.

Cognición Política y Cumbre de Líderes de América del Norte. Podcast de Psicología Política con David Martínez y Carlos Rivera.En este episodio hablamos acerca del proceso conocido como cognición política y de la Cumbr...

Nuevo episodio del podcast Psicología Política.

Hablamos acerca de la psicología del populismo, los problemas con las múltiples definiciones de populismo y comentamos algunos rasgos de personalidad de quienes se sienten atraídos por líderes populistas.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1e1m99uOSCe0lZhK3xR4tQ?si=72d0d0e515af4c7c

Psicología del Populismo II Listen to this episode from Psicología Política on Spotify. En este episodio concluimos nuestra conversación acerca de la psicología del populismo. Mencionamos los problemas con las múltiples y abstractas definiciones de populismo, así como sus instrumentos de medición y mencionamos algunos r...

Three studies assessed the relationship between need for closure (NFC) and evaluations of political ideology conversions as a function of mortality salience (MS). Following anexperimental (vs. control) manipulation, 156 participants evaluated politicians who switchedpolitical ideologies. Results indicate that MS induced people high in NFC to express greater support for politicians seeking consensus in the political centre, an effect consistent with research linking NFC to desires for group centrism and collective closure. [ 116 more words ]

A Terrifying Journey to the Centre of Politics: Political Centrism as an Effect of Mortality Salience and a Need for Closure Three studies assessed the relationship between need for closure (NFC) and evaluations of political ideology conversions as a function of mortality salience (MS). Following anexperimental (vs. cont…

If you look at people who have high needs for security and certainty and don’t pay as much attention about politics they are adopting more left-wing redistributive positions.

Christopher Federico on the Psychology of Political Behavior - HHH #53 Christopher Federico discusses his latest research on the relationship between the need for securiity, certainty and political preferences.

The Big-Five Personality Test and Cambridge Analytica.
Some of the academic research behind micro targeting.

The Big-Five Personality Test and Cambridge Analytica Personality and the Foundations of Political Behavior The scant science behind Cambridge Analytica’s controversial marketing techniques Nature peers into the evidence for ‘psychographic targeting’.…

La gente se involucra en discusiones políticas, no por razones filosóficas, sino porque hay una necesidad psicológica de predictibilidad, orden y seguridad.

La confianza en la política disminuye el riesgo de gravitar hacia el extremismo. Hay factores psicológicos que llevan a que las personas se vean atraídas por los contenidos más banales, escandalizadores o emocionales.

The hyper-partisan nature of contemporary American politics is a major roadblock to effective compromise between Democrats and Republicans and an important contributor to rampant distrust of government in the U.S. I identify three factors that contribute to our polarized political environment by describing how 1) genuine differences in the moral sensibilities of liberals and conservatives have become infused into political culture, which leads to 2) biased interpretations of political events and information, that are 3) reinforced by a politically-segmented and sensationalist media environment. [ 241 more words ]

The Psychology of Political Polarisation The hyper-partisan nature of contemporary American politics is a major roadblock to effective compromise between Democrats and Republicans and an important contributor to rampant distrust of govern…