Regaining power: How feelings of exclus...

Past experimental research has shown that social exclusion can be linkedwith radicalism. During the COVID-19 pandemic, feelings of social isolationand loneliness rose, just like protests and violence against national antiCOVID-19 measures did. Based on these observations, we hypothesizedthat feelings of exclusion induced by measures to contain the spread ofCOVID-19 were associated with radicalism intentions to illegally and violentlyfight COVID-19-related regulations among critics of the containment policies(Hypothesis 1). Moreover, we expected that radicalism intentions againstCOVID-19-related regulations fortified needs deprived by social exclusion(Hypothesis 2). Studying a sample of individuals who opposed the measuresto contain the spread of COVID-19 (N = 171), we found evidence for bothhypotheses: Results revealed that feelings of social exclusion induced byCOVID-19 containment measures predicted radicalism intentions. Moreover,the relationship between exclusion and radicalism was associated withfortifying power issues. Political opinion did not moderate these effects. Thesedata replicate the exclusion-radicalism link in the COVID-19 crisis and add onemore factor that may have promoted radical developments during that time.Fortifying feelings of power, radicalism appeared to foster well-being, thoughat a high political price.