Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
Published on: September 28, 2018
Moral perspective-taking can reduce polarization around climate policy in the United States
Kristin F Hurst1, Zachary M Hurst1
1School of Earth Systems and Sustainability, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA.
Abstract:
Polarization is a barrier to the large-scale collective action urgently needed to address the climate crisis. Moral perspective-taking (MPT) combines counter-attitudinal argument generation with moral framing as a strategy for reducing polarization. Across four online studies with participants in the United States, we experimentally tested the efficacy of MPT for depolarization around divisive climate-related topics (transition from fossil fuels, fracking bans). We found consistent evidence that MPT can help moderate views on a divisive environmental topic, thus helping to decrease polarization. All four studies found significant effects of MPT on policy support. Further, studies 1 and 2 found that the intervention increased cognitive empathy for people with opposing views and studies 3 and 4 found it decreased resistance to opinion change and influenced willingness to take action on the issue. Our findings suggest that MPT can be used as a flexible tool to reduce polarization that is scalable and adaptable across multiple contexts.
Related Concept Videos
Group Polarization
Motivational Bias
Self Within Cultural Contexts
Fundamental Attribution Error
Empathy
Global Climate Change

