Diving Deep: Political Psychology and the Experimental Method in the Study of Affective Polarization

Abstract

This article analyses the methodological approaches used in research on affective polarization. Affective polarization is defined as positive feelings toward one’s own political group and negative emotions toward political opponents. Research on this phenomenon in political science typically relies on quantitative surveys, indices derived from them, and other predominantly quantitative methods, which allow researchers to reliably measure levels of affective polarization and compare them across different contexts using comparative approaches. However, these conventional methods do not allow for strong conclusions about causal relationships. It is argued that the use of a political psychology methodological approach – especially the experimental method associated with it – makes it possible to better uncover the causal mechanisms of affective polarization. The experimental studies on affective polarization reviewed in this article expand our understanding of its causal dynamics and its interactions with different types of stimuli.