Implications of Pro- and Counterattitudinal Information Exposure for Affective Polarization

Abstract

The American electorate is characterized by political polarization, and especially by increasingly negative affective responses toward opposing party members. To what extent might this be attributed to exposure to information reinforcing individuals' partisan identity versus information representing the views of partisan opponents? And is this a uniquely American phenomenon? This study uses survey data collected immediately following recent national elections in two countries, the United States and Israel, to address these questions. Results across the two nations are generally consistent, and indicate that pro‐ and counterattitudinal information exposure has distinct influences on perceptions of and attitudes toward members of opposing parties, despite numerous cross‐cultural differences. We discuss implications in light of recent evidence about partisans' tendency to engage in selective exposure.

The Hostile Audience: The Effect of Access to Broadband Internet on Partisan Affect

“…Unsurprisingly, then, some research suggests that voluntary exposure to partisan media causes partisans to trust the opposition less (Levendusky 2013a) and increases interparty animosity (Garrett et al 2014). Thus, one way broadband Internet may affect political attitudes is by increasing the net imbalance in political information that partisans consume.…”

Selective Exposure, Political Polarization, and Possible Mediators: Evidence From the Netherlands

“…However, the practical relevance seemed to be limited by the fact that there were not many media outlets to choose from. Due to the advent of cable television and the Internet, this has changed radically -and research on so-called selective exposure has relished a revival (Arceneaux & Johnson, 2013;Garrett et al, 2014;KnoblochWesterwick & Hastall, 2010;Levendusky, 2013;Messing & Westwood, 2011).…”

Historical Dramas, Current Political Choices: Analyzing Partisan Selective Exposure With a Docudrama

“…We say surprising because early work on selective exposure (Sears & Freedman, 1967), as well as more recent research (Garrett, 2009;Stroud, 2011), agrees that avoiding exposure to attitude-challenging content is far less frequent than seeking attitudeconsistent content. Certainly this is not the first study to document that selectivity and avoidance can be equally prevalent (see, e.g., Garrett et al, 2014), but it is the first to test this similarity with a docudrama. One explanation for this finding derives from prior work showing that selective avoidance is more likely to occur when messages are harder to refute, because viewers may anticipate higher levels of cognitive dissonance (Kleinhesselink & Edwards, 1975).…”

“…In other parts of the world, such as European countries with a tradition for partisan journalism, few would argue that media-driven polarization is on the rise, at least at the aggregate level. Nevertheless, several survey and experimental studies show the potential for ideological and affective polarization of users of newer media, such as online news, political blogs, and social media (e.g., Garrett et al, 2014;Stroud, 2011). Thus, existing evidence on the polarizing effects of partisan selective exposure is most convincing with individual-level analyses.…”