15th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference

Voters’ feelings of exclusion and behavioral intentions after political elections: Replicating and extending findings on vicarious exclusion

12 Sep 2024, 10:50

20m

Track 2 (lecture hall: HS 4)

Talk Social Psychology Talk Session 6

Speaker

Janet Kleber (University of Klagenfurt)

Description

Previous research from the United States indicates that voting for a losing candidate in presidential elections is associated with feelings of exclusion and social pain, similar to reactions in interpersonal exclusion. Our research replicates these findings in real election in a European country (Austria), demonstrating their relevance in a different political system. Experimental evidence also supports the causal effect of electoral loss on exclusion and social pain in both two-party (Study 2) and multiparty contexts (Study 3). Additionally, we show that post-election feelings of threat can impact behavioral intentions on a societal level (Studies 1-3). These findings contribute to research on individual feelings of exclusion in politics, linking small-group dynamics with broader political behavior.