NARRATIVE PERSUASION & DEPOLARIZATION

Nathan Walter

CIVIC HEALTH PROJECT, Winter 21

CENTER OF MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY & SOCIAL INFLUENCE

Sapna Suresh

Camille Saucier

Chris Dobmeier

John Brooks

Malavika Radhakrishnan

PARTICIPANTS & RESEARCH DESIGN

• 564 participants (59.9% female), age (M = 49.91, SD = 15.63), political ideology (M = 4.27, SD = 2.07), born in the US (94.1%), Mostly White (80%), education (M = 15.71)

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CONDITION 1

CONDITION 2

CONDITION 3

CONDITION 4

CONDITION 5

MEASURES

Depolarization outcomes

1. Feeling thermometer
1. Ratings between 5 and 10 mean that you feel favorable and warm toward the person or group. Ratings between 0 and 5 mean that you don't feel favorable and warm toward the person or group. You would rate them at the 5 mark if you don't feel particularly warm or cold toward them.

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• Party: Republican vs. Democratic (M = 5.89, SD = 3.01)
• Ideology: Conservatives vs. Liberals (M = 5.39, SD = 3.23)
• VP: Pence vs. Harris (M = 6.63, SD = 3.05)
• POTUS: Trump vs. Biden (M = 7.04, SD = 2.98)

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MEASURES

Depolarization outcomes

2. Social Distance
1. Suppose a son or daughter of yours were getting married: how would you feel if he or she married a supporter of the...

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• Republican Party (M = 2.38, SD = 2.25)
• Democratic Party (M = 4.99, SD = 3.14)

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• Republican Party (M = 5.89, SD = 3.07)
• Democratic Party (M = 2.54, SD = 2.28)

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MEASURES

Depolarization outcomes

3. Dictator Game
1. One of the key issues that the current study would like to assess is people's decision-making through a common allocation game. During the game, you will have an opportunity to earn additional money. Important: This money will be in addition to the sum agreed upon as your compensation for participation in this study.

About 600 people will participate in our study. Half of these people will be invited to play the role of player 1 and to make decisions about allocating money, just as you do. The other half of these people will play the role of player 2 and receive money but have no ability to make decisions about its allocation.�

In the following we explain step by step how your earnings today are determined.

MEASURES

Depolarization outcomes

3. Dictator Game

Today we matched you with one other participant in our study. For this participant, we ask you to make a number of decisions. Without compromising the anonymity of the participant, we will randomly reveal one demographic feature (age, gender, household income, or political affiliation) of that participant.  �

The survey software ensures that each participant is matched with one and only one player 2 during the course of the game.

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Your earning in this game will be added to your compensation for participating in this study.

MEASURES

Depolarization outcomes

3. Dictator Game

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The software picked participant #21 as player 2 in your game. On the next page, you can find information about this participant's age, gender, household income, or political affiliation. Also, you will be asked to allocate $2.00 between yourself and participant #21. For example, you can allocate $2.00 to participant #21, which means that you will receive $0 in additional compensation or you can allocate $0.50 to participant #21, which means that you will receive $1.50 in additional compensation.

Participant #21 has self-identified as a "Strong supporter of the Republican Party." Please choose how much money you would like to allocate to Participant #21. Choose any sum from $0 to $2 and please allocate the remaining money to yourself.

MEASURES

Depolarization outcomes

3. Dictator Game

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The software picked participant #21 as player 2 in your game. On the next page, you can find information about this participant's age, gender, household income, or political affiliation. Also, you will be asked to allocate $2.00 between yourself and participant #21. For example, you can allocate $2.00 to participant #21, which means that you will receive $0 in additional compensation or you can allocate $0.50 to participant #21, which means that you will receive $1.50 in additional compensation.

Participant #21 has self-identified as a "Strong supporter of the Democratic Party." Please choose how much money you would like to allocate to Participant #21. Choose any sum from $0 to $2 and please allocate the remaining money to yourself.

MEASURES

Depolarization outcomes

3. Dictator Game

• Congruent Player 2 (M = .91, SD = .42)
• Incongruent Player 2 (M = .72, SD = .51)

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• Congruent Player 2 (M = .95, SD = .37)
• Incongruent Player 2 (M = .60, SD = .55)

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RESULTS�FEELING THERMOMETER BY MESSAGE CONDITION

RESULTS�FEELING THERMOMETER BY MESSAGE CONDITION (DEMOCRATS)

RESULTS�FEELING THERMOMETER BY MESSAGE CONDITION (REPUBLICANS)

RESULTS: ORDER EFFECTS

RESULTS�SOCIAL DISTANCE BY MESSAGE CONDITION

RESULTS�DICTATOR GAME BY MESSAGE CONDITION �(ENTIRE SAMPLE)

Congruent

Incongruent

RESULTS�DICTATOR GAME BY MESSAGE CONDITION (DEMOCRATS)

Congruent

Incongruent

RESULTS�DICTATOR GAME BY MESSAGE CONDITION (REPUBLICANS)

Congruent

Incongruent

IDENTIFICATION WITH OUTGROUP MEMBERS AS A MECHANISM OF DEPOLARIZATION

• I think I understand Dan/Darlene well
• I understood the events in the episode the way Dan/Darlene understood them
• While watching I felt like Dan/Darlene felt
• While watching, I could really “get inside” Dan’s/Darlene’s head
• I tend to understand why Dan/Darlene did what he/she did

IMPLICIT ASSOCIATION TEST – PARTISAN BIAS �(IYENGAR & WESTWOOD)

IMPLICIT ASSOCIATION TEST – PARTISAN BIAS �(IYENGAR & WESTWOOD)

IMPLICIT ASSOCIATION TEST

Anti-Democrat Bias

Anti-Republican Bias

THE EFFECTS OF IDENTIFICATION WITH CHARACTERS ON POLARIZATION BY IAT

Affective polarization (Party)

Identification with Darlene

THE EFFECTS OF IDENTIFICATION WITH CHARACTERS ON POLARIZATION BY IAT

Affective polarization (ideology)

Identification with Darlene

THE EFFECTS OF IDENTIFICATION WITH CHARACTERS ON CONTRIBUTION TO OUTGROUP MEMBERS BY IAT

Money to outgroup members

Identification with Darlene

THE EFFECTS OF IDENTIFICATION WITH CHARACTERS ON POLARIZATION BY IAT

Affective polarization (Party)

Identification with Dan

THE EFFECTS OF IDENTIFICATION WITH CHARACTERS ON POLARIZATION BY IAT

Affective polarization (ideology)

Identification with Dan

THE EFFECTS OF IDENTIFICATION WITH CHARACTERS ON CONTRIBUTION TO OUTGROUP MEMBERS BY IAT

Money to outgroup members

Identification with Dan

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS

• Promising effects of The Conners on affective depolarization (party/ideology)
• But not on views associated with VP and POTUS
• Identification with outgroup members and implicit bias may explain some of the effects
• No evidence that the episode was able to offset the negative influence of the debate
• Future considerations:
• Real viewership?
• Limited exposure?
• Long-term effects?
• Effects on content selection?

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"30% of the country watch Fox News and think Sean Hannity is a genius, 30% watch MSNBC and think Rachel Maddow is a genius, and then 40% watch Dancing with the Stars and think we're all idiots.“

Former Senator Claire McCaskill

THANK YOU!

Nathan Walter

nathan.walter@northwestern.edu

https://com-psi.northwestern.edu/