Social Interactions Facilitate Reactivity and Recovery from an Electoral Loss: Evidence for the Tend-and-Befriend Theory from the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election

We examined how the 2024 US presidential election outcome impacted voters’ (N=480;  50% Harris voters, 50% female) social interactions. Harris voters’ showed decreases in positive mood and positivity during their social interactions immediately post-election but recovered 5 days after. Stronger trends in female voters support the tend-and-befriend hypothesis.