From bias to balance: Testing the effect of feedback on ideological bias expression. A registered report.
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| Title: | From bias to balance: Testing the effect of feedback on ideological bias expression. A registered report. |
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| Authors: | Ziemer, Carolin‐Theresa (AUTHOR), Finn, Christine (AUTHOR), Rothmund, Tobias (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Political Psychology. Feb2026, Vol. 47 Issue 1, p1-18. 18p. |
| Subjects: | Polarization (Social sciences), Cognitive bias, Subjectivity, Social norms, Human information processing, Evaluation methodology |
| Abstract: | Motivated reasoning posits that ideological beliefs and goals bias individuals' information processing particularly regarding socio‐political information. However, most individuals are unaware that ideological bias shapes their perception and judgment making them easy targets for political polarization. This leads to the strong need to address and mitigate this bias. Utilizing an ideological bias task that assesses the degree of expressing one's ideological bias in the estimation of socio‐political facts, we test the effects of feedback on the reduction of ideological bias. With a three between‐factor design (feedback‐only vs. feedback + social norm nudge vs. no feedback control), we test a representative German sample at two time points (Nt1 = 1229, Nt2 = 1001). Participants who received feedback on the extent of their ideological bias displayed a significant bias reduction between t1 and t2 compared to the control group. An additional social norm nudge emphasizing the societal value of unbiased decision‐making did not result in a stronger reduction of ideological bias. Moreover, general bias awareness did not moderate the effect of feedback on bias reduction. Our findings contribute to a growing understanding about the suggestibility of ideological bias and illuminate the (limited) potential of bias awareness in mitigating biased information processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Motivated reasoning posits that ideological beliefs and goals bias individuals' information processing particularly regarding socio‐political information. However, most individuals are unaware that ideological bias shapes their perception and judgment making them easy targets for political polarization. This leads to the strong need to address and mitigate this bias. Utilizing an ideological bias task that assesses the degree of expressing one's ideological bias in the estimation of socio‐political facts, we test the effects of feedback on the reduction of ideological bias. With a three between‐factor design (feedback‐only vs. feedback + social norm nudge vs. no feedback control), we test a representative German sample at two time points (Nt1 = 1229, Nt2 = 1001). Participants who received feedback on the extent of their ideological bias displayed a significant bias reduction between t1 and t2 compared to the control group. An additional social norm nudge emphasizing the societal value of unbiased decision‐making did not result in a stronger reduction of ideological bias. Moreover, general bias awareness did not moderate the effect of feedback on bias reduction. Our findings contribute to a growing understanding about the suggestibility of ideological bias and illuminate the (limited) potential of bias awareness in mitigating biased information processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 0162895X |
| DOI: | 10.1111/pops.13070 |
