Social Desirability and Affective Polarization

Media coverage of affective polarization-partisans disliking and distrusting out-partisans while liking and trusting in-partisans-is abundant, both creating and reflecting a belief among the public that partisans are more affectively polarized than they are. These trends suggest that affective polarization among partisans could be viewed as socially desirable, which may then shape partisans' expressed attitudes and behavior. To examine this, I run four original surveys and study two broad research questions: (1) Does this social desirability exist?; and (2) Can it influence partisans' expressed affective polarization? I find that affective polarization among partisans is indeed socially desirable and that, largely motivated by self-presentation desires, this social desirability can shape partisans' expressed affective polarization. However, my results also suggest that affective polarization responses are rather ingrained in partisans, and that while partisans are aware of this social desirability and its effect on their behavior, small changes in survey context do not necessarily produce large changes in affective polarization responses. Overall, the results offer necessary nuance to our understanding of affective polarization, implying that social desirability-which can be shifted by contexts-can alter how affectively polarized people act.

Automated summary

Media coverage exaggerates affective polarization among partisans, creating a belief among the public that it is more severe than it really is. This study finds that this social desirability does exist, and it can influence how partisans express their affective polarization, although small changes in survey context may not lead to significant changes in their responses.