The general fault in our fault lines

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Political Science
• Cross-Cultural Psychology

Background:

• Global narratives suggest rising political polarization.
• Accuracy of these perceptions and their impact on intergroup beliefs is questioned.
• Prior US research indicated inaccurate meta-perceptions drive negative out-group beliefs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the generalizability of findings on political meta-perceptions across different countries.
• To investigate whether informing individuals of inaccurate meta-perceptions reduces negative intergroup beliefs internationally.

Main Methods:

• Replication of two US experiments with 10,207 participants across 26 countries.
• Focus on local group divisions, termed 'fault lines'.
• Utilized a simple disclosure intervention to inform participants about meta-perception inaccuracies.

Main Results:

• Broad generalizability of inaccurate group meta-perceptions was found across diverse national contexts.
• Disclosure intervention successfully reduced negative motive attribution towards out-groups.
• The findings indicate a robust phenomenon transcending specific national boundaries.

Conclusions:

• Inaccurate and negative group meta-perceptions are prevalent in various global contexts.
• Interventions informing individuals of their misperceptions can foster improved intergroup relations.
• The results have significant implications for understanding and mitigating political polarization worldwide.