Being populist is bad for you: a six-wave longitudinal study on the relationships between populist orientation and perceived control

Despite increasing scholarly attention to populist orientation, little is known about its psychological effects on individuals. This cross-lagged panel study examines the temporal relationship between populist orientation and perceived control over one’s life, as well as the associations between these variables and emotional distress, using a quota sample of Italian adults across six waves from April 2020 to October 2022 (N = 2,027). Higher levels of populist orientation significantly predicted lower perceived control in subsequent waves, whereas perceived control did not predict later populist orientation. Moreover, both perceived control and populist orientation were positively associated with emotional distress. The study highlights the psychological risks associated with populist worldviews and offers insights for future research on political attitudes and well-being.