2023-12-23 01:35:47
By Patricia Fernández Martín is a clinical psychologist at the Ramón y Cajal Hospital in Madrid. It’s them or us. Radicalization. Ideological tribalism. A harmful vicious circle that intensifies in contexts of crisis and uncertainty, where arguments lose and emotions win
What I think and feel is true. If you mess with such a politician, you mess with me. I don’t read what that newspaper publishes. If such a person said that, I’m not interested in him. Either them or us… Ideological polarization is the process by which differences of opinion between two or more groups become increasingly greater. Affective polarization is related to negative perception, feelings of rejection and little respect for opinions or people with whom one does not feel identified. Through this process, the multiple qualities of others are reduced to a single element, as Míriam Juan-Torres González, a researcher at the University of Berkeley, pointed out in a recent article. In this way, intragroup favoritism is encouraged over hostility towards the opposing group.
According to a study by the consulting firm LLYC, polarization has increased by 35% in Spain in the last five years. People who have difficulty dealing with the tensions of a polarized environment come to mental health consultations, and experts are beginning to take an interest in this phenomenon. There is agreement that individual and social factors interact in the polarization process, but it is not easy to determine whether a person is previously polarized or if society polarizes them. Although no one is immune, there are those who are more vulnerable. They are those people with a deep-rooted ideology and feelings of strong identification with a group. Their thinking style tends towards cognitive rigidity, which extremely simplifies reality and perceives it without nuances. They tend to have a low tolerance for frustration and lower life satisfaction. The polarization process is related to the construction of identity in adolescence, in contexts such as school, family or groups of friends. Many of the qualities on which it is based are linked to core beliefs, with a high emotional charge and little reflection. The polarized person constructs these beliefs in opposition to another, often as an effect of group pressure. And in crisis contexts, these ideas become certainties. Even if reality proves them wrong, they refuse to abandon them.
Regarding the social aspects that influence the increase in polarization, it is worth highlighting unemployment, inequality, economic crises or the arrival of social networks, as the sociologist Luis Miller points out in his book Polarized. As social psychologist Jonathan Haidt explains in The mind of the righteous, The confirmation bias of social networks interrupts the process of flexibilization of ideas. The media or politicians can also contribute to spreading certain narratives that foster division and emphasize the differences between groups. For this reason, the topics on which there is polarization vary depending on the context, society and the priorities of the moment in a debate where reasons are replaced by feelings.
Guillermo Lahera, head of Psychiatry at the Príncipe de Asturias University Hospital, emphasizes that ideological tribalism can cause harm. The consequences of a polarized environment are disastrous, both for the individual and for society. The consulting firm LLYC defines polarization as the new addictive drug: the more polarized people are, the more willing they are to spread misinformation. And the environmental conditions where anonymity predominates encourage it. The more radical the message of the polarized person, the better his point of view is positioned. You may enjoy immediate gratification, but you don’t measure the long-term consequences: increased feelings of hostility or anger, which correlate with lower well-being and fewer positive emotions. It can lead you to make inappropriate, unwise, even uncivil decisions. Collectively, polarization generates social breakdown, little trust in institutions, disengagement with politics, and little community commitment.
It is necessary to reflect on measures to prevent polarization. One of them is to promote a culture of debate in schools and families. Another is to approach people who have different ideas with curiosity. If it is discussed, let it be with arguments and not on a personal level. In practical terms, reducing exposure times to social networks and considering conscious use is a good idea. You can reflect on the motivation that leads to sharing content and ask yourself if it contributes something new to the debate or is it a polarizing message. It is also useful to distrust news that causes very strong emotional reactions, as well as read different sources of information.
Mental health is based on a well-articulated society, with healthy networks and emotional ties. Polarization can fill a void, but it ends up being an excuse not to think.
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