Are We Acting Differently Because of Politics? Here’s What the Research Shows

Behavioral Grooves Podcast

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Why do we so easily form ‘us vs. them’ mentalities, and how does it impact our society?

In the second part of this series, Kurt and Tim dive into the psychological roots of polarization, starting with the famous Robbers Cave Experiment. They explore how easily group identities and loyalties form, even among strangers, and how this translates into in-group loyalty and out-group hostility.

The discussion expands to cover the role geography plays in shaping political views, as explained by researchers like Ryan Enos from Harvard. There’s also a compelling conversation with Ryan about whether polarization is truly worsening or if we’re just more aware of it due to better data.
Kurt and Tim then turn to economists who have studied how our political identities drive us to make decisions that sometimes go against our own interests. Kwabena Donkor from Stanford and Andrea Robbett from Middlebury College tee up studies to disentangle our preferences from our beliefs and they use clever, money-based studies to do so.
Eugen Dimant, from the University of Pennsylvania, examines the societal impact of polarization, from trust and cooperation to the functioning of democratic institutions. The conversation underscores the complexity of polarization and the diverse approaches needed to fully understand and address its consequences. Tune in for deeper insights into the forces shaping our divided world.

Topics

[0:00] Robbers Cave Experiment

[2:42] MIT’s PolarizationSeries

[3:48] Geography and Polarization: Ryan Enos

[14:46] Beliefs and Preferences: Kwabena Donkor

[23:07] The Comorbidities of Polarization: Eugen Dimant

[34:44] Affective Polarization: Andrea Robett

[39:15] Grooving Session: Understanding the gap between what we say and what we do

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