Affective Synergy between Nostalgia and Disgust Predicts Populism, Zero-Sum Beliefs about Immigration, and Democratic Support in a Scandinavian Sample

This study tested the affective synergy hypothesis in a Scandinavian sample (N = 399), showing that collective nostalgia and disgust independently predicted populism and zero-sum immigration beliefs, and their interaction predicted zero-sum immigration beliefs. Findings highlight how emotional dispositions and ideological orientations jointly shape exclusionary political views in high-trust societies.