Pruntel, Joris (2025) The Role of Education in Affective Polarization. Bachelor thesis, Psychology.
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Abstract
This study investigates the moderating effect of educational attainment on affective polarization during political discussions. Following previous research indicating that education can have both polarizing and depolarizing effects, this study investigates whether college graduates show higher levels of affective polarization when compared to lower educated people after communicating with ideological opponents. U.S.-based participants were paired for real-time online text-based discussions on immigration policy with either agreeing or opposing discussion partners. The results revealed no significant main or interaction effects of education and the discussion type on affective polarization. There was a marginally significant effect on positive emotions regarding one’s own viewpoint with higher educated individuals. These findings challenge both the assumption that education is a force that reduces partisan hostility as well as the idea that it increases ideological gaps. It is speculated that the cognitive and ideological effects of education may counterbalance one another in political discussion, resulting in no clear net impact on affective polarization. The results offer a different perspective than the prevailing belief, suggesting that educational attainment may play a more complex role within political discussion than previously assumed and calls for further research into how educational attainment shapes emotional dynamics in political discussion.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Koudenburg, N. |
| Degree programme: | Psychology |
| Differentiation route/Track: | None [Bachelor Psychology] |
| Date Deposited: | 04 Jul 2025 10:10 |
| Last Modified: | 04 Jul 2025 10:10 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/5265 |
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