RESEARCH PAPERS
Political polarisation can be defined and measured in various ways. One of its forms is ideological polarisation – a specific pattern of beliefs, opinions, and values present in a given society. Ideological polarisation can be understood as the radicalisation of opinions (e.g., views along the left–right dimension), stronger associations between different political beliefs (e.g., attitudes towards abortion and taxation), or the increasing alignment of political beliefs with issues or practices that were initially “apolitical” (e.g., dietary choices). Another form of political polarisation is elite polarisation – a high level of ideological distance between political parties combined with a high level of ideological homogeneity within parties. The final form of political polarisation – affective polarisation – involves a tendency to perceive political opponents negatively and members of one’s own political group positively.
Although research on political polarisation is extensive, several limitations can be identified. The exchange of knowledge between political science, sociology, and social psychology appears to be insufficient. As in research on collective action, we are dealing with something resembling a Tower of Babel, whose builders are unable to cooperate because they speak different languages. The lack of knowledge exchange between disciplines is responsible, among other things, for the relationships between different forms of political polarisation not being fully established. Another problem with the available literature is the shortage of experimental studies that would allow causal inferences to be drawn. Finally, some phenomena related to political polarisation (e.g., political conflict fatigue or hostility towards non-voters) have so far attracted little attention from researchers.
This project aims to address these gaps. Drawing on findings from previous research and theories from social psychology, political science, and sociology, we propose that political polarisation is associated with:
a) the content and structure of political belief systems;
b) perceiving political opponents’ attitudes as irrational, emotion-based, and externally imposed;
c) social norms;
d) the type of identification with one’s own political group; and
e) characteristics of political systems.
As methods of depolarisation, we propose:
a) structured, respectful contact with political opponents;
b) increasing awareness of the outgroup’s positive attitudes towards the ingroup; and
c) strengthening the belief that people and groups can change and that their characteristics (e.g., beliefs) are not fixed once and for all.
We also propose that political conflict fatigue leads to withdrawal from politics, while hostility towards non-voters is highest among people who perceive political conflict as a struggle between the forces of good and evil.
FUNDER
National Science Centre, Poland
PROJECT NUMBER
2023/49/B/HS6/02460
PROJECT PERIOD
2024-2027
FUNDING
2 216 635 PLN
ABOUT THE PROJECT
CONFERENCE TALKS
OTHER FORMS OF DISSEMINATION
Winter Seminar 2026
EASP 2026
Research Report
Interview with Maciej Górski in Gazeta Wyborcza
Commentary for the XYZ portal