New research from Michigan State University indicates that individuals who possess high levels of self-confidence in their political skills are inclined to discriminate against those with opposing political views. Conversely, individuals who harbor doubts about their political abilities are more inclined to treat others fairly, even amidst political disagreements.
“We usually think that it is a good thing to feel confident about your abilities. People who believe they can make a difference in politics tend to be good citizens—they keep up with current events and participate in elections,” the researchers explain. “In this research, we highlight the dark side of political self-confidence. When people feel self-assured about their political abilities, they are closed-minded, hostile, and ready to discriminate against those who do not share their political views.”
Rising polarization
With political polarization escalating and discord toward opposing viewpoints on the rise, the landscape of American politics is increasingly fraught, impeding progress and fostering division.
During the 2022 mid-term election, a significant portion of Americans—three out of 10—identified political polarization as the foremost issue confronting the nation. Alarmingly, around two-thirds of both Democrats and Republicans perceive members of the opposing party as dishonest, and merely 20% of marriages are characterized by political diversity.
Among the myriad factors contributing to polarization, one less-explored dimension is political confidence and self-assurance. The research comprised two key components: first, an analysis of survey data assessing political efficacy and perceptions of political parties; second, a survey experiment gauging tolerance for political discrimination.
In the initial phase of the study, a national online survey was administered to 1,000 Americans shortly before the 2020 presidential election, probing their attitudes toward the opposing political party.
Participants who expressed a strong grasp of political matters and confidence in their political acumen were categorized as exhibiting high internal political efficacy, while those displaying greater uncertainty were classified as having lower internal political efficacy.
Hostile towards opponents
The researchers discovered a strong link between how confident people feel about their political know-how and how likely they are to show hostility toward those who disagree with them. Basically, the more sure someone is about their political smarts, the more likely they are to clash with folks holding different views.
Those with a lot of confidence in their political abilities were okay with cutting off friendships over political differences and avoiding conversations with people who didn’t see eye-to-eye with them politically. They were also more okay with treating people differently based on their political beliefs.
In a survey, participants were told about a hiring manager who wouldn’t interview a job applicant because they had led either a College Democrats or College Republicans group in the past. Most people didn’t think it was okay to discriminate against someone for their political views, but those who were super confident in their political know-how were more likely to say it was fine not to hire someone from the opposing party.
Bad vibes
Although confidence is usually seen as a good thing, this study suggests that in politics, it can lead to bad vibes. People who are really sure of themselves politically and vote a lot tend to make politics more hostile and divided. Also, they’re okay with discrimination against people from the other political side. So, it’s important for those who are politically confident to think carefully about how they see things and consider other viewpoints. This study reminds us to take a step back and think before jumping into political arguments.
“Some people are deeply engaged in politics—they watch the news every day, follow political content on social media, and talk about current events with friends and family. Other people rarely think about politics at all,” the researchers explain. “While these folks are less politically assertive, they are much more willing to spend time with people who disagree with them. They are also much less likely to engage in partisan discrimination.”
While these discoveries highlight the downsides of being firmly set in one’s political beliefs, they don’t suggest people should change their minds. Instead, they offer some tips on how we can lessen political divisions by thinking carefully about how we see people with different opinions or how we approach discussions about the 2024 election.
