Hostility between supporters of different political parties may be driven not only by political disagreements, but also by a belief that people on the other side are fundamentally different, Griffith University research has found.
Researchers examined how perceptions of differences in personality, values, socio-economic background and lifestyle influenced feelings towards supporters of other political parties.
While all four non-political dimensions influenced attitudes towards supporters of other parties, perceptions about personality and values had the strongest influence on people’s dislike and willingness to avoid interacting with them.
Contributing author from the School of Government and International Relations Dr Fernando Feitosa said it was particularly concerning when social diversity turned into hostile behaviour such as avoidance.
“Our research suggests people are responding not only to what they believe the other side stands for politically, but also to who they believe the other side is,” Dr Feitosa said.
“When people perceive supporters of other political parties as fundamentally different from themselves, they are more likely to dislike them and less willing to interact with them.”
The study also found stronger negative effects of perceived differences in regions where radical-right parties played a more prominent role in the political landscape, suggesting these parties may harm social cohesion through their polarising rhetoric.
“Our findings suggest political rhetoric may have broader social consequences when it emphasises division and encouraged people to see supporters of other parties as fundamentally different from themselves,” Dr Feitosa said.
“When political disagreements become assumptions about a person’s values or character, it becomes harder to find common ground.
“Political disagreement is a normal part of democracy, but problems emerge when people begin making broader assumptions about another person’s character, values or way of life.
“One way to reduce these divisions is to challenge exaggerated assumptions about people who hold different political views and highlight what they have in common.”
The research was conducted in Belgium and was part of Not Like Us, a large, nation-wide research initiative examining political polarisation.
The paper ‘Divided beyond politics: How perceptions of non-political differentness are linked to affective polarization among citizens’ was authored by researchers from the University of Antwerp, Tilburg University and Griffith University published in Electoral Studies.
Featured
Fernando Feitosa
Author
