Bringing critical social psychology to the study of political polarization

Abstract

The study of political polarization, in both its ideological and its affective expressions, has garnered significantly more interest over the last years. But despite recent research on the conceptualization, measurement, causes, and consequences of this socio-political phenomenon, and some tentative interventions to mitigate it, relevant new avenues remain surprisingly underdeveloped. Indeed, scholarship in the field of political polarization, mainly in the case of affective polarization, frequently uses cognitivist approaches to make sense of the growing antipathy between different social and political groups. However, the bulk of this work seems to overlook valuable insights into the psychology of intergroup conflict, stereotyping, prejudice reduction, and discourse studies. The aim of this paper is to underline the main gaps in the political polarization literature, to subsequently argue how knowledge linked to the tradition of critical social psychology can help in filling them. Ultimately, the article aims to contribute to the psychosocial study of political polarization and to the design, if necessary, of interventions to counter its detrimental consequences.

Effects of intellectual humility in the context of affective polarization: Approaching and avoiding others in controversial political discussions.

“…Polarization can signal problems within a democratic system, such as some individuals feeling excluded from decision-making processes (Stavrakakis, 2018). Negative affect and polarization can be part of a struggle for recognition, particularly for historically disadvantaged group members (Balinhas, 2023; Dixon et al, 2012). Similarly, individuals in society do not have to tolerate all beliefs, worldviews, and ideologies, for example, racist beliefs (Verkuyten et al, 2020).…”

“…For example, hate crimes in the United States are more often committed by people from the political right than from the political left (Badaan & Jost, 2020). Consequently, aversion toward political groups and parties can also be a sign of resistance, such as against the radical right (Meléndez & Rovira Kaltwasser, 2021), and affective polarization should be studied in the context of various societal debates (Balinhas, 2023).…”

Affective polarization in Europe

“…A second concern is that this measure insufficiently captures what researchers are actually interested in when studying affective polarization. If we are interested in emotional reactions to partisan labels, we should measure this more explicitly (Balinhas, 2023); if we are instead interested in identities, there are measures for this as well (Huddy et al, 2015;Bankert et al, 2017). But arguably, researchers value the concept of affective polarization because it relates to political behaviour and to democratic attitudes.…”

Effects of Intellectual Humility in the Context of Affective Polarization: Approaching and Avoiding Others in Controversial Political Discussions

“…Polarization can signal problems within a democratic system, such as some individuals feeling excluded from decision-making processes (Stavrakakis, 2018). Negative affect and polarization can be part of a struggle for recognition, particularly for historically disadvantaged group members (Balinhas, 2023;Dixon et al, 2012). Similarly, individuals in society do not have to tolerate all beliefs, worldviews, and ideologies, e.g.…”

“…For example, hate crimes in the US are more often committed by people from the political right than from the political left (Badaan & Jost, 2020). Consequently, aversion toward political groups and parties can also be a sign of resistance, such as against the radical right (Meléndez & Rovira Kaltwasser, 2021), and affective polarization should be studied in the context of various societal debates (Balinhas, 2023).…”