Disagreement Among Friends: A Collaboration-Based Framework for Reducing Polarization on Climate Change (WP-25-10)
Mary McGrath
The American public exhibits a deep partisan divide on climate change. Some evidence suggests that engaging with people who hold opposing views decreases polarization; but research into real-world political discussion shows that people avoid conversations involving political disagreement in order to protect their social bonds with those whose opinions differ from their own. McGrath presents findings from an intervention in which pairs of people who have a personal relationship and hold opposing views on climate change (personally-close, ideologically-distant) are provided with shared information and a collaborative framework guiding these polarized pairs through discussion of their views on climate change. Using a mixed methods approach, she finds quantitative evidence of significant and politically relevant opinion change from before to after the intervention, persisting at least three months out; and qualitative evidence that provides insights into the mechanism through which these changes may arise.