Collaborative Versus Confrontational Governance: When Political Ideology Predicts Psychological Reactance and Public...

Research has consistently linked political ideology to vaccination intentions, adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), and psychological reactance. However, less is known about whether these associations are contingent upon governance style. Using the COVID-19 pandemic as a naturalistic context, the present study examined whether collaborative versus confrontational governance styles would shape the relationship between political ideology and public health compliance. Spanish (n = 336) and Norwegian (n = 308) participants completed an online survey between April and May 2021 assessing political ideology, psychological reactance, attitudes toward NPIs, and vaccination intentions. Independent samples t-tests and chi-square analyses examined group differences, and moderation analyses tested whether national context conditioned associations between political ideology and the outcome variables. Spanish participants exhibited higher political polarization and stronger psychological reactance than Norwegians. The sociopolitical context significantly moderated the relationships between political ideology and all outcome variables. In Spain's more polarized and confrontational governance context, a shift toward the political right was associated with lower vaccination intentions, more negative attitudes toward NPIs, and stronger psychological reactance. In Norway's consensus-oriented governance context, these associations were substantially attenuated or negligible. These findings suggest that political ideology does not uniformly predict psychological reactance and health behaviour: confrontational governance styles may intensify political polarization and resistance to public health measures, whereas collaborative and consensus-oriented governance may buffer such effects. By highlighting that macro-level political environments may shape individual motivational processes, this study advances theory at the intersection of political psychology and health behaviour, highlighting the importance of context-sensitive communication in future health crises.