Implications of Pro- and Counterattitudinal Information Exposure for Affective Polarization: Partisan Media Exposure and Affective Polarization

The American electorate is characterized by political polarization, and especially by
increasingly negative affective responses toward opposing party members. To what extent
might this be attributed to exposure to information reinforcing individuals’ partisan
identity versus information representing the views of partisan opponents? And is this
a uniquely American phenomenon? This study uses survey data collected immediately
following recent national elections in two countries, the United States and Israel, to address
these questions. Results across the two nations are generally consistent, and indicate that
pro- and counterattitudinal information exposure has distinct influences on perceptions
of and attitudes toward members of opposing parties, despite numerous cross-cultural
differences. We discuss implications in light of recent evidence about partisans’ tendency
to engage in selective exposure.