Russia
Definition
Russia refers to a society undergoing a major geopolitical conflict—the 2022 invasion of Ukraine—in which citizens display heterogeneous value-based construals of the war's moral significance. Citizens systematically vary in how they interpret the war through value-instantiating beliefs (VIBs)—perceived consequences of the war for basic human values such as security, benevolence, conformity, and tradition—with state media consumption associated with seeing the war as protective of conservation values and independent media consumption linked to opposing construals. Two distinct value-construal profiles emerged: 31% of surveyed Russian citizens (n=973, August 2022) interpreted the war as preserving social order and conservation values, while 69% saw it as undermining these, with the former profile predicting stronger pro-war attitudes and support intentions even after controlling for authoritarianism and national identity.
Sources: Ponizovskiy et al. (2026)
Related Terms
Applications
Russia and Propaganda
Propaganda in Russia operates through shaping how citizens construe the meaning and moral significance of the war rather than merely through exposure or persuasion alone. State media channels systematically associate pro-state media consumption with value-based interpretations that align with conservation values (security, conformity, tradition), suggesting propaganda succeeds by offering emotionally coherent motivations for compliance consistent with citizens' value priorities.
Sources: Ponizovskiy et al. (2026)
Russia and War Support
Support for the 2022 war in Ukraine among Russian citizens is predicted by value-construal profiles, with individuals who see the war as enhancing conservation values showing significantly more positive attitudes and stronger intentions to take political action in support of it. Specifically, construals framed in terms of tradition and conformity-aligned benefits predict pro-war attitudes, whereas universalism, stimulation, hedonism, and achievement-aligned construals predict opposition, demonstrating that war support is rooted in how citizens assign moral meaning to military action.
Sources: Ponizovskiy et al. (2026)
