Redefining Loyalty: How Political Deviants Maintain Positive Self-Views Amid Ingroup Rejection.

ABSTRACT: Deviance poses a fundamental challenge for groups: while it can threaten cohesion and invite moral condemnation, it can also express deep commitment to shared principles. The present research examines how loyalty shapes perceptions of constructive deviance through the case of Republicans for Harris (RHs) during the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Across three time points, we compared how deviants (RHs, N = 89) perceived themselves to how they were viewed by mainstream ingroup members (Republicans for Trump; RTs, N = 340) and outgroup members (Democrats; N = 294). Results revealed marked asymmetries: RTs viewed RHs as less loyal, less prototypical, and more likely to defect than RHs saw themselves. All groups, including mainstream ingroup members, outgroup members, and

SUBMITTER: Loustau T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12837132 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature