Researcher(s)
- Bo McGregor, Political Science, University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Lindsay Hoffman, Communication, University of Delaware
Abstract
Rising hostility in online political spaces has raised new questions about the psychological roots of uncivil political behavior. This study intends to build on previous research that emphasizes partisanship and media exposure while introducing emotional and psychological dispositions (life satisfaction, self-uncertainty, political emotion, perceived social status, and need for chaos) as complementary predictors of uncivil political participation, presenting a more nuanced understanding of the motivations behind uncivil political participation. To test four hypotheses concerning the influence personal makeup and online political discourse have on uncivil political participation and its broader political consequences, including support for anti-democratic candidates and political violence, we ran regression, mediation, and moderation analyses with data collected from a nationally representative U.S. survey (N = 1,600). The results show that the need for chaos was the strongest predictor of uncivil participation (disrupting events of political opponents, spreading misinformation about political opponents, and harassing people online because of their political views), whereas lower life satisfaction and greater self-uncertainty indirectly fueled that behavior by heightening chaos-driven motives. Belief in retaliatory political violence mediated these relationships, and emotional reactions to the state of the country moderated the behavioral effects of psychological strain. The psychological and emotional factors, which are rarely present in such studies, were more consistent predictors than demographics or media use. These findings have significant implications for understanding what compels individuals to engage in uncivil political participation. It also brings attention to how uncivil behavior can erode democratic norms, especially when normalized.