Update on Recent Research into Psychological and Political Significance of Neoliberal Ideology in the Context of Escalating Polycrisis

Abstract

This article reports background and results of a research program on psychological and political significance of neoliberal ideology in the social-ecological polycrisis. Neoliberalism proliferates and justifies globally dominant political-economic practices enforcing market expansion and deregulation, entrepreneurial freedoms, supremacy of capital interests, and dismantling of welfare states. Simultaneously, it pervades and shapes psychological processes, belief systems, and behaviors. After reviewing theoretical and methodological foundations of system-justifying neoliberal ideologies, exemplary results are reported, pertaining to the ecological climate crisis, the social crisis of eroding civil solidarity, and the political crisis of liberal democracies. Respective surveys studies use the neoliberal ideological beliefs questionnaire with sub-dimensions of individualism, competition, and instrumentality. One study reported relationships with system justification, environmental consciousness, climate-protective behavior, and estimated carbon footprint, confirming a detrimental role of neoliberal ideological beliefs. A second study established connections between neoliberal ideological beliefs, moral disengagement, and absence of civic engagement for people seeking refuge. A third explored correlational patterns in neoliberal beliefs, political attitudes, and party preferences, showing tendencies towards right-wing populism and social dominance orientation. Further, interviews were conducted among socio-economically disadvantaged groups. Contradicting their interests, participants reproduced neoliberal individualism, competition, and instrumentality through meritocratic explanations for poverty and rejection of wealth redistribution. Underlying psychological processes included reduction of cognitive dissonance and appeasement of epistemic and existential motives. Psychodynamics of neoliberal ideology in the polycrisis are highlighted, including self-reinforcing spirals, corrosion of transformative capacities, and a xenophobic authoritarian turn. Implications for social transformation and research are discussed.