Abstract Zero‐sum beliefs about political relationships—the conviction that one party's gains are inevitably offset by another party's losses—have often been cited as drivers of partisan conflicts. However, across five studies with diverse samples of U.S. residents ( n = 1383), four of which were preregistered, we find that overall zero‐sum endorsement shows weak and inconsistent associations with affective polarization. Instead, beliefs are frequently one‐sided: Many individuals endorse the idea that their political opponents' gains are harmful while rejecting the notion that their own gains come at others' expense. We refer to the strength of this outgroup‐ingroup imbalance as zero‐sum asymmetry . Across correlational and experimental studies, higher zero‐sum asymmetry reliably predicts heightened partisan animosity. At the same time, it is associated with higher civic efficacy and, in several samples, greater political participation and democratic commitment. Notably, symmetric zero‐sum endorsement is relatively rare compared to asymmetric patterns. Together, these findings highlight the directional structure of perceived political trade‐offs as a key contributor to affective polarization, with broader implications for how citizens interpret partisan competition and evaluate the health of democratic systems.
Abstract Achieving net‐zero CO 2 emissions requires sustained collaboration between civil society and the private and public sectors across time and geographies, but low trust in and among these actors impedes coordinated action. This multidisciplinary review examines how different forms of trust, in particular political trust (i.e., trust between actors with differential power), shape the energy transition, addressing four core questions: How does trust impact energy project development and outcomes? How do the processes of building, maintaining, eroding, and repairing trust differ? What are the asymmetries in trust gain and loss? How does a project's history and stage determine which process is at play and whether trust repair is possible? A narrative literature review and analysis of fifteen case studies spanning diverse energy contexts identifies key trust dyads: government‐community, developer‐community, regulator‐developer. Mapping these trust dyads on project outcomes reveals when trust functions as either a barrier or a pathway to success. We complement our literature review and case analysis with primary data from stakeholder surveys and expert workshops that validate the real‐world relevance of trust research insights and identify the largest trust deficits and effective trust‐building strategies perceived by expert practitioners. Our findings across sources of evidence converge to show that political trust operates through distinct mechanisms across different actor relationships, with direct implications for project design, stakeholder engagement, and policy implementation. The review concludes by outlining future research directions and opportunities for cross‐disciplinary collaboration to address trust challenges in the energy transition.
Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the effect of exposure to political music on voting decisions among Nigerian voters. Data were collected from a multistage sample of 388 participants, and logistic and linear regression models were applied to evaluate the hypotheses. The findings revealed that an individual's overall exposure to political music significantly predicts their likelihood of voting, demonstrating a small positive effect size (Odds Ratio = 1.08). Rather than operating through indirect moderation pathways, exposure media and geographic location emerged as the strongest direct predictors of persuasive influence. Specifically, direct exposure via local radio ( β = .21) and shared audio files ( β = .12) significantly predicted a voter's influence score. Furthermore, rural voters reported being significantly more influenced by political music than their urban counterparts, with geographic location operating as the strongest overall direct baseline predictor ( β = −.48). The study concludes that the psychological effectiveness of political music lies not in generalized, blanket exposure, but in a targeted strategic focus that leverages specific media channels and subcultural demographic segments to maximize persuasive impact on voter behavior.
Abstract Pairing neuroimaging and behavioral testing, we offer new insights into affective polarization, hyper‐partisanship, and their effects. Our findings introduce a temporal dimension to existing theoretical frameworks concerning the impact of social identity on political perceptions. We demonstrate that group‐identity shapes in‐the‐moment neural processing of real‐world experiences in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) protocol and Cyberball game where participants experience varying levels of inclusion/exclusion from in/out‐group members. In other words, people don't simply rely upon group membership (e.g., partisanship, national identity) to post‐hoc rationalize an experience, but instead that group membership also actively biases neural processing of otherwise objectively identical experiences, shaping (and distorting) political perception, with significant behavioral effects.
Abstract Politics can substantially harm physical and mental health, especially in polarized contexts, making political polarization a major non‐medical cause of disease and suffering. We examined whether citizens can protect their health without undermining civic engagement. Across three studies with over 2000 participants during the 2022 U.S. midterms and 2024 presidential election, we show that interoceptive sensibility, that is, the ability to perceive and trust one's internal bodily signals, protects against politics' adverse health effects. Higher interoceptive sensibility consistently predicted lower emotional, physical, behavioral, and social health costs, controlling for political identity, demographics, and emotion regulation. During the charged 2024 election, it further predicted fewer negative emotions, more hope for the future, and less fear, particularly when their candidate lost. Interoceptive sensibility also correlated with political engagement and efficacy, suggesting it enhances rather than inhibits participation. Our findings highlight it as a promising trait for mitigating political stress without reducing civic involvement.
