A complex arc of engagement

Shifting psychological trajectories of international solidarity during sustained geopolitical conflict

Bibliographic Data

ID24213779
AuthorsVivian P Ta (0000-0002-2373-335X, Department of Psychology, College of Health, Community, and Policy University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio Texas USA), A Burcu Bayram (0000-0003-0538-9791, Department of Political Science, Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences University of Arkansas Fayetteville Arkansas USA)
Year2026
Volume47
Issue6
Publication date2026-12-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePolitical Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0162-895X • E-ISSN: 1467-9221
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/pops.70200
OpenAlexW7215087615
LanguageEN
References cited49

How do international audiences psychologically engage with prolonged geopolitical conflicts on social media? Drawing on 1.2+ million English‐language tweets posted during the first 10 months of the Russia–Ukraine war, this study examines temporal shifts in engagement, emotion, existential concern, cognition, and psychological distance reflected through language. Results identified a clear psychological arc across the conflict. Discourse in the earliest phase was characterized by strong active engagement, heightened negative emotion, increased focus on death, conflict, and morality, and greater cognitive effort aimed at making sense of unfolding events. As the war persisted, these indicators declined and were replaced by shorter posts, fewer retweets, reduced existential focus, and simpler emotional and cognitive expression, consistent with attention fatigue and chronic crisis adaptation. Unexpectedly, psychological distance decreased over time, suggesting that users expressed themselves in more personal, spontaneous ways as the conflict became an enduring part of the digital environment. This challenges the view that declining engagement signals general disengagement and instead reveals a shift toward more grounded, personally meaningful forms of involvement. Findings illuminate the dynamic psychological processes through which publics respond to sustained conflict and highlight implications for political communication, humanitarian outreach, and crisis messaging strategies across the lifespan of international crises.

attention fatigue · cognitive effort · crisis adaptation · Emotional expression · international solidarity · psychological distance · Russian invasion of Ukraine · social media engagement · Twitter · Media Studies and Communication · Public Relations and Crisis Communication · Social Media and Politics

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