A complex arc of engagement: Shifting psychological trajectories of international solidarity during sustained geopolitical conflict

Abstract

How do international audiences psychologically engage with prolonged geopolitical conflicts on social media? Drawing on 1.2+ million English‐language tweets posted during the first 10 months of the Russia–Ukraine war, this study examines temporal shifts in engagement, emotion, existential concern, cognition, and psychological distance reflected through language. Results identified a clear psychological arc across the conflict. Discourse in the earliest phase was characterized by strong active engagement, heightened negative emotion, increased focus on death, conflict, and morality, and greater cognitive effort aimed at making sense of unfolding events. As the war persisted, these indicators declined and were replaced by shorter posts, fewer retweets, reduced existential focus, and simpler emotional and cognitive expression, consistent with attention fatigue and chronic crisis adaptation. Unexpectedly, psychological distance decreased over time, suggesting that users expressed themselves in more personal, spontaneous ways as the conflict became an enduring part of the digital environment. This challenges the view that declining engagement signals general disengagement and instead reveals a shift toward more grounded, personally meaningful forms of involvement. Findings illuminate the dynamic psychological processes through which publics respond to sustained conflict and highlight implications for political communication, humanitarian outreach, and crisis messaging strategies across the lifespan of international crises.