Tend‐and‐befriend and rally around the flag effects during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Differential longitudinal change patterns in multiple aspects of social cohesion

The COVID-19 pandemic and its lockdowns have uniquely challenged our social lives. current study seeks to explore changes in cohesion on various psychological dimensions (trust, belonging, interaction, engagement) system levels (family, friends, neighbours, institutions, nations), assessed 3522 Berlin residents before, during, after the first lockdown, four times during second lockdown. lockdown had a consistently negative impact of cohesion. However, picture was more nuanced regarding systems: micro-level with family members macro-level processes institutional trust national international belonging increased, particularly women. This suggests tend-and-befriend tendencies affiliation, affirmation political identities. collapsed indicating fatigue effects. Findings suggest multidimensional approach highlight relevance stressor duration collective crisis.