Couples Therapy for a Divided America: Assessing the Effects of Reciprocal Group Reflection on Partisan Polarization

Abstract

Overcoming America’s deep partisan polarization poses a unique challenge: Americans must be able to disagree on policy while nonetheless agreeing on more fundamental democratic principles. We study one model of depolarization—reciprocal group reflection—inspired by marital counseling and implemented by a non-governmental organization, “Braver Angels.” We randomly assigned undergraduate students at four universities either to participate in a Braver Angels workshop or simply to complete three rounds of surveys. The workshops significantly reduced polarization according to explicit and implicit measures. They also increased participants’ willingness to donate to programs aimed at depolarizing political conversations. These effects are consistent across partisan groups, though some dissipate over time. Using qualitative data collected during the workshops, we generate a new theory of depolarization that combines both informational and emotional components such that citizens, moved to empathize with an outgroup, become more likely to internalize new information about outgroup members.

Translating social science for peace: Benefits, challenges, and recommendations.

“…As another example, Bilali and Vollhardt (2013) assessed the efficacy of Musekeweya (New Dawn), a Rwandan radio drama developed by the NGO Radio La Benevolencija that aims to prevent violence and promote reconciliation following genocide. Just like Bruneau et al (2021), these researchers evaluated the efficacy of the radio program following development and deployment and found that it improved intergroup relations through a variety of psychological processes (e.g., perspective-taking, Bilali & Vollhardt, 2013; see also Baron et al, 2021; Bilali et al, 2016; Paluck, 2009; Paluck & Green, 2009; Staub, 2019). In these examples, the authors investigated whether already existing intervention programs developed by practitioners resulted in improved intergroup relationships.…”

Network loss following the 2016 Presidential Election among LGBTQ+ adults

“…While many Americans avoid political discussion, they are still more likely to share political opinions with friends and family (Cowan and Baldassarri 2018). Organizations such as Braver Angels can help provide resources for those interested in navigating these challenging conversations (Baron et al 2021). However, the results of these depolarization efforts may not properly account for the additional political conflict that marginalized groups experience.…”

Interventions to reduce partisan animosity

“…Synthesizing some of the classic work on contact theory with recent insights from depolarization interventions, we propose two additional conditions that may lead to greater success in the political context. In addition to the four conditions outlined above, it also may be beneficial to 5) include training in dialogue skills [18,[113][114][115], and 6) structure contact interventions to highlight commonalities [29].…”

“…The discussions focus on policy issues, but also encourage specific forms of dialogue between partisans while highlighting the things they share in common, such as their agreement on many key policy issues [97]. Their work reduces animosity and even increases monetary support for depolarization initiatives [113].…”