Sociopolitical consequences of Covid‐19 in the Americas, Europe, and Asia

A multilevel, multicountry investigation of risk perceptions and support for antidemocratic practices

Bibliographic Data

ID7972019
AuthorsJosé J Pizarro Carrasco (0000-0001-9883-8765, Department of Social Psychology University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU San Sebastian Spain), Huseyin Cakal (0000-0002-6227-9698, School of Psychology Keele University Keele UK, corresponding author), Lander Méndez (0000-0001-7875-6949, Department of Social Psychology University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU San Sebastian Spain), Larraitz N Zumeta (0000-0003-0108-7331, Department of Social Psychology University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU San Sebastian Spain), Marcela Gracia‐Leiva (0000-0001-5336-5407, Department of Social Psychology University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU San Sebastian Spain), Nekane Basabe (0000-0003-4753-4299, Department of Social Psychology University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU San Sebastian Spain), Ginés Navarro‐carrillo (0000-0003-0856-8197, Department of Psychology University of Jaen Jaen Spain), Ana-Maria Cazan (0000-0003-4521-702X, Department of Psychology and Education Sciences Transilvania University of Brasov Brasov Romania), Saeed Keshavarzi (0000-0002-3634-3406, Independent Researcher Iran), Wilson López-López (0000-0002-2964-0402, Departamento de Psicología Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Bogotá Colombia), Illia Yahiiaiev (0000-0003-1432-6821, Faculty of Psychology Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv Kyiv Ukraine), Carolina Alzugaray‐Ponce (Facultad de Ciencias Sociales Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Santo Tomás Concepción Chile), Loreto Villagrán (0000-0002-6700-0369, Department of Psychology Universidad de Concepción Concepción Chile), Emilio Moyano-Díaz (0000-0003-2433-9271, University of Talca), Emilio Moyano‐Díaz (Facultad de Psicologia Department of Psychology Universidad de Talca Talca Chile), Nebojsa Petrovic (0000-0002-1623-4018, Department of Psychology Faculty of Philosophy University of Belgrade Serbia), Anderson Mathias (0000-0001-8646-7864, Faculty of Psychology Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila UAdeC Coahuila Mexico), Elza Maria Techio (0000-0002-8229-7674, Department of Psychology Federal University of Bahia Bahia Brazil), Anna Włodarczyk (0000-0003-2106-5324, Escuela de Psicología Universidad Católica del Norte Antofagasta Chile), Laura Nadhielii Alfaro-Beracoechea (0000-0002-9857-7339, Department of Psychology University of Guadalajara Guadalajara Mexico), Manuel L Ibarra (0000-0003-2492-186X, Research group in biopsychology health and society. Autonomous University of the State of Mexico Mexico City Mexico), Andreas Michael (0000-0002-6517-2618, Department of Psychology University of Cyprus Nicosia Cyprus), Sumeet Mhaskar (0000-0002-1628-3813, Jindal School of Government and Public Policy O. P. Jindal Global University India), Gonzalo Martínez‐Zelaya (0000-0002-9848-3666, Escuela de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales Universidad Viña del Mar Viña del Mar Chile), Marian Bilbao (0000-0002-5984-4908, Department of Psychology Universidad Alberto Hurtado Santiago de Chile Chile), Gisela Isabel Delfino (0000-0002-3732-184X, Department of Psychology Universidad Pontificia Comillas Madrid Spain), Catarina L Carvalho (0000-0002-4779-5328, Laboratory of Social Psychology Center for Psychology at University of Porto, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto Porto Portugal), Isabel R Pinto (0000-0001-5788-4140, Laboratory of Social Psychology Center for Psychology at University of Porto, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto Porto Portugal), Falak Zehra Mohsin (0000-0002-2912-1100, Karachi School of Business and Leadership Karachi Pakistan), A Espinosa (0000-0002-2275-5792, Departamento Académico de Psicología Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú Lima Peru), Rosa María Cueto (0000-0003-3549-2001, Departamento Académico de Psicología Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú Lima Peru), Stefano Cavalli (0000-0002-5329-9558, Centre of Competence on Ageing University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland Manno Switzerland), Sabrine Da Costa (0000-0001-6011-821X, Methodology and Behavioural Sciences Department University of Zaragoza Zaragoza Spain), Alberto Amutio (0000-0003-3989-9992, Department of Social Psychology University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU San Sebastian Spain), I Alonso-Arbiol (0000-0002-4638-085X, Department of Social Psychology University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU San Sebastian Spain), Dario Páez (0000-0002-8459-6037, Faculty of Education and Social Science Universidad Andres Bello Santiago de Chile Chile)
Year2024
Volume45
Issue2
Pages407-433
Publication date2024-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePolitical Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0162-895X • E-ISSN: 1467-9221
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/pops.12930
OpenAlexW4387705347
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited130

Although different social crises may eventually favor undemocratic and authoritarian forms of governance, at some point, such antidemocratic practices require the support of a significant part of the population to be implemented. The present research investigates how and whether the COVID‐19 pandemic might have favoured greater support for antidemocratic governmental practices, on the premise of regaining control and security. Using data from 17 countries ( N = 4364) and national‐level indicators (i.e., real number of contagions and deaths, and sociopolitical indicators), we test how the risk of contagion and death from COVID‐19, along with personal orientations (i.e., social dominance orientation [SDO], right‐wing authoritarianism [RWA], and perceived anomie) motivate authoritarian and antidemocratic practices. Results from multilevel models indicate that risk perception and perceptions of political instability predict a wish for stronger leadership, agreement with martial law, and support for a controlling government especially when SDO and RWA are high, while more egalitarian and less conservative people agree less with these authoritarian measures in spite of the levels of risk perception. We discuss the implications for these findings for future research on similar but also dissimilar external events (natural disasters, war, or terror incidents) and the consequences for societies with higher authoritarian tendencies

Authoritarianism · Corporate governance · Democracy · Development economics · Economics · Perception · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Population · Risk perception · Sociology · Cultural Differences and Values · Demography · Law · Psychology · Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology

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