Exploring the Motivations and Personality Traits of Pro-Russian Collaborationists in Ukraine

Abstract

This study investigates the personality traits and motivations of collaborationists with Russian invaders in Ukraine. A focus group of individuals who knew collaborationists personally identified 14 collaborationism motives (CMs), which were used to interview 104 probation clients convicted of collaborationism. The study utilized the five-factor model developed by Costa and McCrae to evaluate individual characteristics. Categorical principal component analysis (CATPCA) reduced the 14 CMs to three dimensions: pragmatism, adaptation, and fear. The study found that individual factors promoting collaborationism included pragmatism, ideological adaptation to changing realities, and fear stemming from threats to the life and health of an individual and/or their relatives. The study provides insights into the psychology of collaborationism, which can be useful in designing resocialization programs during the probation period of collaborationists.