Fight, Flight, or Vote Right? An Exploratory Scoping Systematic Review of Threat Sensitivity in Political Conservatism

Abstract: Background: Within the framework of social cognition, conservatism can be conceptual-ized as a strategy for addressing fundamental psychological needs. Therefore, it is hypothesized that individuals with conservative orientations exhibit stronger reactions to perceived threats compared to their less conservative counterparts. Aim: To exploratory scoping systematically review pf ex-isting literature examining behavioral, physiological, neurophysiological, and emotional responses associated with the relationship between conservatism and threat perception. Method: Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar primary databases, resulting in the inclusion of 14 relevant articles. Results: Approximately three quarters (between 71.4% and 85.7%) provided empirical support for the hypothesis that conservatism is positively associated with threat sensitivity. These findings reveal a complex and nuanced rela-tionship between conservatism and threat perception, with mixed results, particularly among physiological studies, highlighting the situational nature of the observed correlations. Conclusion: While the majority of evidence supports a relationship between political conservativism and threat sensitivity, future research should more explicitly consider moderating variables such as cultural context, the nature of the threat, and methodological variations in measurement.