Attitude Formation Based on Political Views: An Expectancy-Value Model of Interpersonal Likability in Politics

Area of Science:

• Political Science
• Social Psychology
• Computational Social Science

Background:

• Affective polarization in Western democracies is a growing concern.
• The precise mechanisms linking ideological differences and group identification to polarization are not fully understood.
• There is a need for falsifiable theories to explain these political dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and formalize the Expectancy-Value Model of Interpersonal Likability in Politics (EVIL-P).
• To explain how ideological differences and group identification contribute to affective polarization.
• To provide a testable framework for understanding political attitudes.

Main Methods:

• Reanalysis of large-scale survey data from the American National Election Studies (N=38,868) and British Election Study (N=24,522).
• Analysis of nine additional studies (N=6,587) rating societal groups based on political views.
• Statistical modeling to test the interaction of expectancy (rarity of views) and value (similarity of views) in predicting likability.

Main Results:

• The Expectancy-Value Model of Interpersonal Likability in Politics (EVIL-P) was supported by the data.
• Expectancy and value significantly interacted to predict interpersonal attitudes towards political targets.
• Individuals with moderate political views were generally liked more, while those with extreme views elicited stronger positive and negative reactions.

Conclusions:

• The EVIL-P model offers a robust explanation for affective polarization.
• The model highlights the interplay between the perceived rarity and similarity of political views in shaping social preferences.
• Findings contribute to a deeper understanding of political animosity and group dynamics in democracies.