We Generally Prefer Political Allies Who Try To Understand Opponents ’ Views

By Emily Reynolds We often hear that we’re living in an age of polarisation and divisiveness, unable to transcend political boundaries to listen to those who we disagree with. But how do we feel about those people who share our views but who seek to understand opponents anyway? This is the subject of a new study in Psychological Science, authored by the University of British Columbia’s Gordon Heltzel and Kristin Laurin. They find that while we generally prefer those who seek alternative views, this falters when they appear to be susceptible to changing sides. In the first study, 233 participants read about four contentious topics — affirmative action, climate change, immigration and welfare — choosing which of two stances they agreed with more (e.g. “support tougher immigration policies” or “oppose tougher immigration policies”). They then read about two individuals, both of whom shared their beliefs about one of the issues. One of these individuals, however, sometimes watched news reports or read articles espousing alternative views, while the other did not. Participants then completed a “feeling thermometer”, indicating how they felt about the two individuals, as well as indicating their approval of them as a friend, teacher, and politician and selecting words to describe them. Participants preferred the individual who sought alternative views, and this seemed to be because they felt they were more tolerant and rational. However...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Political Social Source Type: blogs