Reducing political polarization through narrative writing

• Published in: Journal of Applied Communication Research Vol. 48; no. 4; pp. 459 - 477
• Main Authors: Warner, Benjamin R., Horstman, Haley Kranstuber, Kearney, Cassandra C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Annandale Routledge 03.07.2020; National Communication Association
• Subjects: Between-subjects design; intergroup contact theory; narrative writing; Narratives; Political polarization; Politics; Writing
• ISSN: 0090-9882; 1479-5752
• DOI: 10.1080/00909882.2020.1789195

This study proposes two complementary writing activities designed to reduce affective polarization and malevolent outgroup attributions. The strategies draw on narrative theorizing and intergroup contact theory. Our intervention is low cost and can be effectively administrated in educational settings to combat the deleterious effects of political polarization. In this four-group between-subjects randomized experiment (n = 179), we found that a first-person perspective taking narrative writing exercise and a common ingroup cooperative narrative writing exercise both reduced political polarization and, thereby, reduced malevolent outgroup attributions. Our results revealed that both activities improved affect toward and perceived similarity with a noxious member of the political outgroup and, as a result, reduced affective political polarization. We discuss the theoretical and applied implications of our findings and encourage educators to adopt activities modeled after our interventions in their classrooms.