How in-person conversations shape political polarization: quasi-experimental evidence from a nationwide initiative
Growing political polarization is often attributed to “echo chambers” among likeminded individuals and a lack of social interactions among contrary-minded individuals. We provide quasi-experimental evidence on the effects of in-person conversations on individual-level polarization outcomes, studying...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025
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| _version_ | 1824459021820624896 |
|---|---|
| author | Fang, X Heuser, S Stötzer, LS |
| author_facet | Fang, X Heuser, S Stötzer, LS |
| author_sort | Fang, X |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Growing political polarization is often attributed to “echo chambers” among likeminded individuals and a lack of social interactions among contrary-minded individuals.
We provide quasi-experimental evidence on the effects of in-person conversations on
individual-level polarization outcomes, studying a large-scale intervention in Germany
that matched pairs of strangers for private face-to-face meetings to discuss divisive political issues. We find asymmetric effects: conversations with like-minded individuals
caused political views to become more extreme (ideological polarization); by contrast,
conversations with contrary-minded individuals did not lead to a convergence of political views, but significantly reduced negative beliefs and attitudes toward ideological
out-group members (affective polarization), while also improving perceived social cohesion more generally. These effects of contrary-minded conversations seem to be driven
mostly by positive experiences of interpersonal contact. |
| first_indexed | 2025-02-19T04:35:10Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:aaf0c396-87a2-4b75-bbf3-06d19184eb0f |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-02-19T04:35:10Z |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:aaf0c396-87a2-4b75-bbf3-06d19184eb0f2025-01-28T09:05:11ZHow in-person conversations shape political polarization: quasi-experimental evidence from a nationwide initiativeJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:aaf0c396-87a2-4b75-bbf3-06d19184eb0fEnglishSymplectic ElementsElsevier2025Fang, XHeuser, SStötzer, LSGrowing political polarization is often attributed to “echo chambers” among likeminded individuals and a lack of social interactions among contrary-minded individuals. We provide quasi-experimental evidence on the effects of in-person conversations on individual-level polarization outcomes, studying a large-scale intervention in Germany that matched pairs of strangers for private face-to-face meetings to discuss divisive political issues. We find asymmetric effects: conversations with like-minded individuals caused political views to become more extreme (ideological polarization); by contrast, conversations with contrary-minded individuals did not lead to a convergence of political views, but significantly reduced negative beliefs and attitudes toward ideological out-group members (affective polarization), while also improving perceived social cohesion more generally. These effects of contrary-minded conversations seem to be driven mostly by positive experiences of interpersonal contact. |
| spellingShingle | Fang, X Heuser, S Stötzer, LS How in-person conversations shape political polarization: quasi-experimental evidence from a nationwide initiative |
| title | How in-person conversations shape political polarization: quasi-experimental evidence from a nationwide initiative |
| title_full | How in-person conversations shape political polarization: quasi-experimental evidence from a nationwide initiative |
| title_fullStr | How in-person conversations shape political polarization: quasi-experimental evidence from a nationwide initiative |
| title_full_unstemmed | How in-person conversations shape political polarization: quasi-experimental evidence from a nationwide initiative |
| title_short | How in-person conversations shape political polarization: quasi-experimental evidence from a nationwide initiative |
| title_sort | how in person conversations shape political polarization quasi experimental evidence from a nationwide initiative |
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