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Bias refers to any tendency that prevents a question from being considered unprejudiced. In research, bias occurs when one outcome or answer is selected or encouraged over others in sampling or testing. Bias can occur during any research phase, including study design, data collection, analysis, and publication.
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Cognitive bias results from limitations in thinking and information processing, leading to systematic errors in judgment. Conversely, motivational bias stems from personal desires or emotions, causing distortions in perception to align with self-interest. Motivational bias influences how individuals perceive and attribute causes to events, often shaped by personal needs, goals, and self-esteem preservation. This bias can distort judgment, leading to inaccurate assessments of success, failure,...
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Zero-sum bias in politicized problem solving.

Almos C Molnar1, Steven Sloman1

  • 1Department of Cognitive and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, United States of America.

Cognition
|December 21, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Political framing triggers zero-sum bias, affecting problem-solving. Partisans propose less effective solutions when problems align with their political views, demonstrating how politicization constrains thinking.

Keywords:
Political psychologyPoliticizationProblem solvingReasoningZero-sum bias

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Area of Science:

  • Social Psychology
  • Political Psychology
  • Behavioral Economics

Background:

  • Zero-sum bias is the belief that one party's gain necessitates another's loss, even when win-win outcomes exist.
  • Prior research identifies zero-sum bias across various domains, but triggers remain underexplored.
  • Politics is a domain where zero-sum beliefs are prevalent, suggesting political framing may influence this bias.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if politicizing problems acts as a trigger or inhibitor for zero-sum beliefs among partisans.
  • To examine whether political framing leads to qualitatively different solutions proposed by different political groups.
  • To understand the mechanisms through which political frames impact problem-solving performance.

Main Methods:

  • Five experimental studies were conducted involving participants from different political affiliations (Democrats and Republicans).
  • Problems were framed in political (e.g., corporate tax cuts, immigration policies) and non-political terms.
  • Participants proposed solutions, and their effectiveness, effort, thinking constraints, and zero-sum beliefs were assessed.

Main Results:

  • Political framing significantly impacted problem-solving effectiveness, with Democrats and Republicans proposing more effective solutions for problems framed in line with their political leanings.
  • Differential problem-solving performance between political groups emerged only under politicized frames.
  • Political frames interfered with the problem-solving process by constraining the range of considered solutions, not by altering effort or social admissibility.

Conclusions:

  • Politicizing problems can trigger or inhibit zero-sum bias, leading to partisan differences in problem-solving effectiveness.
  • The impact of political framing on problem-solving is mediated by a constraint on cognitive flexibility rather than changes in effort.
  • The presence of zero-sum beliefs regarding a specific political frame, not affective responses, predicts problem-solving outcomes.