How did politics get so damn polarised? Jay Van Bavel joins Igor and Charles to discuss political polarisation, the partisan brain, the inexorable rise of superheroes in dark times, the misperceptions of polarisation levels, and how to reach out to other tribes. Igor highlights the partisanship-transcending benefits of a Watchmen-style alien invasion, Jay proposes the judicious use of ‘off-ramps’ when engaging with loved-ones from across the political divide, and Charles learns that even the abstract purity of Mathematics is not immune from the tentacles of partisanship when guns are involved. Welcome to Episode 18.

Special Guest: Jay Van Bavel.

Links:

• Social Perception and Evaluation Lab
• The dangers of the partisan brain | Jay Van Bavel | TEDxSkoll - YouTube
• The Partisan Brain: An Identity-Based Model of Political Belief - ScienceDirect
• Emotion shapes the diffusion of moralized content in social networks - Brady, Wills, Jost, Tucker and Van Bavel (2016)
• An Ideological Asymmetry in the Diffusion of Moralized Content on Social Media Among Political Leaders - Brady, Wills, Burkart, Jost, Van Bavel (2018)
• How to go viral: stick to your morals but add a hint of emotion | WIRED UK
• What Brexit can teach us about the psychology of fear - Vox
• Letters to Young Scientists | Science | AAAS