politics | SPSP

Why Do Groups Protect Immoral Group Members?

illustration representing the concept of protection

When a fellow group member behaves immorally, some people may prioritize protecting their group over other moral principles. Who are those people?

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Receptivity to Nonsense Varies across the Political Spectrum

The link between people’s political views and how likely they are to fall for nonsense is more complicated than previously thought.

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Fake News Can Distort Your Memories

Image of a man with a computer monitor for a head, screen reads breaking news

Exposure to fake news can create false memories, especially when the stories are in line with our beliefs.

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People See Things as They Expect Them to Be—But that Doesn’t Have to Spell Political Disaster

Three times figure-ground perception, face and vase.

A classic study in social psychology revealed that we cannot always trust our perceptions. Nonetheless, there are some good ways to uncover the truth. And doing so might help us reduce political polarization.

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A Little Perspective Goes a Long Way: Perspective Takers Are Liked More than Non-Perspective Takers

A woman looks across a telescope in front of a glass building

It may come as no surprise that political polarization is on the rise; liberals are becoming more liberal, and conservatives are becoming more conservative. This is more than simple disagreement; political polarization involves an extreme commitment to one’s ideology and an unwillingness to consider other viewpoints. According to Kristin Laurin from the University of British Columbia, we need to be willing to take the perspective of people with opposing views in order to combat political polarization. But how do people perceive those who engage in such perspective taking?

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What Does “Feminist” Mean to You?

a Woman stand in a crowd with fist raised, looking powerful and strong

What do you think of when you hear the word “feminist?” To some, this term elicits images of political, social, and economic equality for men and women. To others, this term elicits images of man-hating women plotting to steal power from men. As PhD student Victoria Parker (Wilfrid Laurier University) points out in her talk entitled “Diverging Definitions: How the Conceptualization of “Feminism” Engenders Dislike and Obscures Common Ground Across Party Lines” at the SPSP Annual Convention, these diverging definitions are problematic.

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Understanding America’s Political Divide: New Methods Using Twitter and Self-Report data

IMage of the US outline with half blue and half red on the outside

Political polarization—the increasing ideological divide between liberals and conservatives—continues to engulf the United States, further inflaming the ongoing culture wars.

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Psychology News Roundup: ICYMI January 4, 2019

Bias, relationships, and resolutions dominate our first roundup of 2019.

Recently in the news, written a post, or have selections you'd like us to consider? Email us, use the hashtag #SPSPblog, or tweet us directly @spspnews. We'll kick things off again in January.

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Psychology News Roundup: ICYMI December 7, 2018

Catch up on this week's posts on hate, personality, and why cookie monster is the best muppet.

Recently in the news, written a post, or have selections you'd like us to consider? Email us, use the hashtag #SPSPblog, or tweet us directly @spspnews.

On the Blogs

Hate: Dropping the H-Bomb via Character & Context

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Psychology News Roundup: ICYMI November 30, 2018

Catch up on what you might have missed in this two-week roundup on thankfulness, political leanings, stereotypes, replication, and words. In the twitter section we include links to a recent #SPSPchat, and more information for an upcoming Rstats webinar from SPSP.

Recently in the news, written a post, or have selections you'd like us to consider? Email us, use the hashtag #SPSPblog, or tweet us directly @spspnews.

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