Emotionally aligned and structurally sorted: How opinion groups divide on climate and asylum

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Political Science
• Computational Social Science

Background:

• Affective polarization research often overlooks shared emotions and intergroup dynamics.
• Existing studies focus on bipartisan systems, neglecting issue-based polarization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate affective polarization beyond traditional partisan divides.
• To explore emotional dynamics, structural divisions, and behavioral patterns in issue-based groups.

Main Methods:

• Surveyed individuals in Germany concerned about climate change or asylum policies (n=5,654).
• Utilized a large social media sample for innovative data collection.
• Employed cluster analysis to identify distinct affective groups.

Main Results:

• Identified two polarized groups ('resenters' and others) characterized by negative affect and emotional misalignment.
• Polarized groups perceived greater emotional similarity to like-minded individuals and dissimilarity to opponents.
• Polarized groups exhibited distinct emotional patterns (anger, disgust, contempt, joy) and less intergroup contact.

Conclusions:

• Affective polarization is shaped by emotional, structural, and interactional factors.
• Polarized groups engage more in political discussions, with differing patterns between conservatives and progressives.
• Issue-based affective polarization influences political engagement and mobilization strategies.