Cognitive distortions are associated with increasing political polarization
9 months ago
- #cognitive distortions
- #political polarization
- #social media
- Political polarization has increased significantly, endangering democratic institutions.
- Cognitive distortions in political thinking resemble those found in depression and anxiety.
- Study analyzed tweets from the 2016 and 2020 US elections, showing a 43% increase in cognitive distortion markers.
- Right-leaning users had a higher baseline of cognitive distortion language, while left-leaning users showed a stronger link between extremism and distortion prevalence.
- The findings suggest a psychosocial connection between cognitive distortions and political polarization, offering potential intervention strategies.