Exploring the need for chaos: an examination of political preferences in the United States and Poland

Abstract

This dissertation examines the relationship between the Need for Chaos (NFC) and political preferences in the United States and Poland. Across four studies, it investigates NFC in relation to ideological orientation and party support, and compares its expression across two contrasting political systems. Study 1 (n = 400) found no significant association between NFC and political orientation or party preference in the US. Study 2 (n = 474) translated and validated the NFC scale for use in Polish. Study 3 (n = 472) replicated the analyses in Poland, again finding no consistent link between NFC and ideological or party affiliation. Study 4 (n = 872) offered a cross-national comparison, showing higher NFC levels among Polish participants regardless of political alignment. Across all studies, NFC was more closely related to psychological traits such as status-driven risk-taking and social disconnection than to ideological content. The findings suggest that NFC reflects a generalized disposition toward system disruption, shaped more by context and psychological factors than by political ideology.