Online Intergroup Polarization Across Political Fault Lines: An Integrative Review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Online Intergroup Polarization Across Political Fault Lines

T2 - An Integrative Review

AU - Bliuc, Ana-Maria

AU - Bouguettaya, Ayoub

AU - Felise, Kallam D.

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by a BA/Leverhulme grant (SRG1920\101349). Publisher Copyright: © Copyright © 2021 Bliuc, Bouguettaya and Felise.

PY - 2021/10/18

Y1 - 2021/10/18

N2 - We revisit the construct of political polarization and current distinctions between issue-driven and affective polarization. Based on our review of recent research on polarization from psychology, political science, and communication, we propose to treat polarization as a process that integrates the concepts of social identification (collective self-definition) with ideologically opposed camps - that is, psychological groups based on support or opposition to specific socio-political issues and policies (related to issue-driven polarization), and that of ideological and psychological distancing between groups (related to affective polarization). Furthermore, we discuss the foundations of polarizing groups - and more specifically, the role of conflicting collective narratives about social reality in providing an initial platform for polarization in a technologically networked world. In particular, we highlight the importance of online media in facilitating and enhancing polarization between ideologically opposed camps. As a theoretical contribution, the review provides a more functional conceptualization of polarization that can explain how polarization may occur across partisan fault lines and in domains outside of politics. We conclude with a discussion of new pathways to the study of polarization which this integrative conceptualization opens.

AB - We revisit the construct of political polarization and current distinctions between issue-driven and affective polarization. Based on our review of recent research on polarization from psychology, political science, and communication, we propose to treat polarization as a process that integrates the concepts of social identification (collective self-definition) with ideologically opposed camps - that is, psychological groups based on support or opposition to specific socio-political issues and policies (related to issue-driven polarization), and that of ideological and psychological distancing between groups (related to affective polarization). Furthermore, we discuss the foundations of polarizing groups - and more specifically, the role of conflicting collective narratives about social reality in providing an initial platform for polarization in a technologically networked world. In particular, we highlight the importance of online media in facilitating and enhancing polarization between ideologically opposed camps. As a theoretical contribution, the review provides a more functional conceptualization of polarization that can explain how polarization may occur across partisan fault lines and in domains outside of politics. We conclude with a discussion of new pathways to the study of polarization which this integrative conceptualization opens.

KW - affective polarization

KW - collective narrative

KW - ideologically opposed camps

KW - intergroup conflict

KW - issue driven polarization

KW - social identity

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85118325393

U2 - 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.641215

DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.641215

M3 - Review article

C2 - 34733195

SN - 1664-1078

VL - 12

JO - Frontiers in Psychology

JF - Frontiers in Psychology

M1 - 641215

ER -