The Psychology of Pushback: Understanding Resistance and Compliance During Democratic Decline

(Please note that the Article Processing Charge is waived for this special issue, given cuts in funding that authors at many institutions experience at the moment.)

Democratic backsliding and authoritarian shifts represent critical challenges to modern societies and institutions. These phenomena raise urgent questions about the psychological mechanisms that either facilitate or resist such transitions. Moreover, the deconstruction of DEI initiatives further complicates the landscape, contributing to the erosion of inclusive and pluralistic values. Despite extensive research on authoritarianism and democratic principles, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of how individuals and groups respond psychologically to the gradual decay of democratic norms and institutions.

This Special Issue, edited by Jonas R. Kunst ✉️ (BI Norwegian Business School/University of Oslo) and John F. Dovidio ✉️ (Yale University), seeks to advance our understanding of the psychological dynamics underlying resistance and compliance during periods of democratic decline. We welcome both theoretical and empirical contributions that, beside others:

• Examine the intersection of organizational and societal resistance
• Examine the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes that shape individual and collective responses to democratic backsliding
• Investigate the psychological mechanisms behind institutional and individual complicity versus resistance
• Explore the role of identity, values, and group dynamics in mobilizing or inhibiting resistance
• Analyze the psychological barriers to recognizing and responding to democratic erosion
• Study leadership psychology during periods of institutional stress
• Investigate the psychological impact of digital technologies and social media (including misinformation, disinformation, conspiracy theories) on resistance dynamics
• Analyze the psychological effects of democratic backsliding for mental health and well-being of dominant and marginalized groups

All submissions will undergo a rigorous and fair, transparent and double-blind peer-review process, where reviewers are compensated financially for their work. At advances.in/psychology, we are committed to inclusivity and accessibility in academic publishing. Recognizing the importance of this topic and the financial constraints that may limit participation from many scholars in current environments, the Article Processing Charges (APC) is waived for this special issue.

Deadline and Article Formats

The deadline for submission is June 30, 2025 (earlier submission is encouraged). Accepted papers will be published online and open access on a rolling basis. We accept research articles (5,000 words, excluding references), research reports (2,000 words excluding references), review/perspective papers (up to 10,000 words, excluding references), and methods papers (no length limit). The word limit may be extended upon request. You can find more information in the author guidelines.

We look forward to your submissions and collaborating with you to publish groundbreaking perspectives in this field of broad importance. In case of questions, do not hesitate to contact us at jonas.r.kunst@bi.no.

Submission Instructions