New study: Political animosity is global

A groundbreaking study conducted by an international team of researchers from six different countries has discovered that affective polarization, the inclination to dislike individuals belonging to opposing political parties while favoring those from one’s own political party, is not limited to the United States but is a global bias as well. Furthermore, the research indicates that this dislike becomes stronger when two individuals share similar perspectives on political issues but arrive at different conclusions. The findings of this study are published in the esteemed journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

For example, consider two individuals from different political parties who believe that tax policy and trade should be approached together. The researchers discovered that even though these individuals share a common approach to political issues, they experience the highest degree of affective polarization when they reach different conclusions. This suggests that when individuals with opposing political stances share cognitive frameworks, their negative attitudes towards each other intensify, potentially indicating that they are competitors within the political system.

“Imagine the frustration of interacting with someone who thinks about things in a similar manner and shares the same fundamental logic as you do, yet arrives at opposite conclusions,” explained Mark Brandt, an associate professor of psychology at Michigan State University and a renowned researcher in social psychology. “We believe that sharing a way of thinking about issues with a political outgroup signals that they are political rivals.”

This study, led by Felicity Turner-Zwinkels, a social psychologist from Tilburg University’s Department of Sociology, investigates the underlying factors contributing to affective polarization. The results show that across numerous countries, our dislike for political outgroups increases as our disagreements with them grow stronger.

“This study is of great significance as it examines affective polarization, a widely discussed and researched topic in the United States, on a global scale. It demonstrates that this phenomenon is not confined to America alone,” stated Brandt. “People should be concerned because it provides a better understanding of human interactions in the realm of politics.”

“Why do we harbor such strong animosity towards each other even when we share similar perspectives on an issue? This research helps explain it,” added Brandt. “It reveals that these sentiments are pervasive. While Americans may believe that their political entrenchment makes them unique, it turns out that they are not.”

The study proposes two potential interventions, although they were not directly tested: highlighting shared opinions among political groups as a means to reduce affective polarization, and encouraging individuals to approach political issues and their interconnectedness in fresh and innovative ways.

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