Psychology

Virology

Human factors and ergonomics

Suicide prevention

Social psychology

Outbreak

Occupational safety and health

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)

Infectious disease (medical specialty)

Criminology

Injury prevention

Disease

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Poison control

Pandemic

Politics

Political science

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak

Medical emergency

Pathology

Medicine

Psychological Science

What are the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for people's political attitudes and behavior? We tested, specifically, whether the psychological burden of the COVID-19 pandemic relates to antisystemic attitudes (dissatisfaction with the fundamental social and political order), peaceful political activism, and political violence. Nationally representative two-wave panel data were collected via online surveys of adults in the United States, Denmark, Italy, and Hungary (ns = 6,131 and 4,568 in Waves 1 and 2, respectively). Overall, levels of antisystemic attitudes were low, and only a small share of interviewees reported behavioral intentions to participate in and actual participation in political violence. However, preregistered analyses indicated that perceived COVID-19 burden was associated with antisystemic attitudes and intentions to engage in political violence. In the United States, the burden of COVID-19 was also associated with self-reported engagement in violence surrounding the Black Lives Matter protests and counterprotests. We found less robust evidence that perceived COVID-19 burden was associated with peaceful activism.

The Psychological Burden of the COVID-19 Pandemic Is Associated With Antisystemic Attitudes and Political Violence