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Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses

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Political breakups: Interpersonal consequences of polarization.

Mertcan Güngör¹, Peter H Ditto¹

¹Department of Psychology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-7085, USA.

|May 7, 2026

Summary

Political breakups, ending relationships over differing political views, affect 37% of Americans. Democrats are more likely to initiate these breakups, which correlate with increased partisan hostility.

Keywords:

affective polarization interpersonal relationships political psychology

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Area of Science:

Social Psychology
Political Science
Sociology

Background:

Political polarization has intensified in recent years.
Interpersonal relationships are increasingly strained by political differences.
Understanding the impact of politics on personal relationships is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the prevalence and conditions of "political breakups" in the United States.
To examine the association between political breakups and partisan hostility.
To identify demographic differences in experiencing political breakups.

Main Methods:

Analysis of four datasets (N=3,791) on political breakups.
Inclusion of a proxy measure from the American National Election Studies.
A survey conducted in April 2025 to assess breakup prevalence.

Main Results:

37% of Americans reported experiencing a political breakup, most commonly with friends.
The prevalence of political breakups may have increased since 2016.
Democrats were more likely than Republicans to initiate political breakups and reported higher partisan hostility.

Conclusions:

Political breakups are a significant phenomenon linked to heightened partisan animosity.
Individuals experiencing political breakups exhibit increased negative perceptions of political opponents.
Further research is needed to explore the causes and consequences of political breakups.