This review paper attempts to update the literature on tolerance of ambiguity (TA) and related concepts since a previous review (Furnham & Ribchester, 1995). Various related concepts like Uncertainly Avoidance and In/Tolerance of Uncertainly are reviewed. Both correlational and experimental studies of TA are reviewed and tabulated. Further, an attempt was made to identify and critique various different questionnaires design to measure TA. Recommendations for the use of these tests in research are made. The reasons for progress and lack of progress in this field are highlighted.

Highlights Participants believe politically like-minded others are better at unrelated tasks. They turn to the politically like-minded even when others are more accurate. Participants are more influenced by politically like-minded others on those issues.

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The rising partisan animus between Democrats and Republicans has significant consequences for American society, both political and nonpolitical. The present study used two preregistered randomized controlled designs to investigate whether scalable meditation interventions could reduce affective polarization, relative to baseline scores measured 1 week earlier, in American adults (Study 1: N = 353; Study 2: N = 246) who affiliated with either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. The results suggest that a brief befriending meditation can reduce affective polarization between Democrats and Republicans by increasing positive feelings relatively more for the political outgroup than the political ingroup.

The European Union Brexit referendum has divided the British electorate, with high levels of animosity between those who affiliate with the Remain side (Remainers) and the Leave side (Leavers) of the debate. Previous research has shown that a brief befriending meditation reduces affective polarization among Democrats and Republicans in the United States, but the results have not been replicated in a non-US sample and the psychological mechanisms underlying the effects have yet to be examined. The present study therefore used a post-test only randomized controlled design to investigate the effects of a brief befriending meditation on affective polarization among Remainers and Leavers (n = 922). Results showed that participants in the befriending condition scored modestly lower on affective polarization than participants in the attentional control condition (t(921) = 2.17, p = .030, d = 0.14) and that perceived commonality with the political outgroup mediated the effects. In sum, audio-guided befriending practices may be a highly scalable means to reduce high levels of affective polarization through increasing perceived commonality.