Politics can seem like a zero-sum game, with both sides trumpeting their own strengths while highlighting the other’s weaknesses. During these times of heightened political polarization, it can feel impossible to find common ground on hot-button issues such as same-sex marriage and national health insurance. But new research suggests that you can get more voters to see your side by reframing the argument around their moral values.
To do that, it helps to understand the role of debate in politics. In our study, we asked participants about their perceptions of and experiences with debate, both in person and online. We found that Americans misperceive how frequently they experience debate and that this is shaped by three forces: 1) the salience of political debates, 2) an amplification of negative content online, and 3) a negativity bias in human information processing.
In addition, we found that many people have misconceptions about how to engage in productive political debate. For example, participants overestimate the frequency of debate they have with family members and the frequency of in-person political debates. This overestimation may be due to the fact that political debates are often broadcast on TV, where they can be seen by large audiences. In our study, we also found that the way politicians interact during political debate is key to determining whether or not they communicate their views effectively. For example, when George H.W. Bush looked at his watch during a debate, many viewers perceived this as an expression of boredom or disinterest, despite the candidate’s explanation that he was simply trying to see how much time had passed.
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