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Group polarization is the strengthening of an original group attitude following the discussion of views within a group (Teger & Pruitt, 1967). That is, if a group initially favors a viewpoint, after discussion the group consensus is likely a stronger endorsement of the viewpoint. Conversely, if the group was initially opposed to a viewpoint, group discussion would likely lead to stronger opposition.
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Factual knowledge can reduce attitude polarization.

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Contrary to popular belief, gaining factual knowledge on political issues like gun control can reduce attitude polarization. This study found that learning balanced information actually moves individuals toward more moderate viewpoints.

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Area of Science:

  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Communication

Background:

  • Politically motivated reasoning theory suggests factual knowledge increases attitude polarization.
  • Individuals often selectively engage with information aligning with their existing beliefs.
  • Existing data linking knowledge and polarization are correlational, not causal.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally test the causal effect of increased factual knowledge on attitude polarization.
  • To investigate how exposure to both pro- and counter-attitudinal facts influences political attitudes.
  • To determine if any observed effects on attitudes are durable over time.

Main Methods:

  • Randomly assigned 1,011 participants to receive factual information on gun control.
  • Included both pro- and counter-attitudinal facts to encourage balanced learning.
  • Offered incentives for participants to learn the provided information.
  • Measured attitude polarization before and after information exposure, with a one-month follow-up.

Main Results:

  • Participants demonstrated willingness to engage with and learn facts supporting and opposing their initial attitudes.
  • Increased factual knowledge led to a measurable shift towards more moderate policy attitudes.
  • This moderating effect on attitudes persisted for at least one month post-intervention.

Conclusions:

  • The assumption that factual knowledge inherently increases political polarization may be overstated.
  • Directionally motivated reasoning's impact on processing political information might be less influential than previously theorized.
  • Providing balanced factual information can be an effective strategy for reducing attitude polarization.