Liane Young

Politicians have the opportunity to be able to create different narratives, particularly about people's intentions.

Politicians have the opportunity to be able to create different narratives, particularly about people's intentions.

Politicians have the opportunity to be able to create different narratives, particularly about people's intentions.

A lot of times people do engage in this willful misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the minds of people on the other side. But then in a lot of cases, I think this happens sort of automatically and unconsciously. We give people that we know and like the benefit of the doubt. And often those are the folks who are on our team or in our party.

A lot of times people do engage in this willful misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the minds of people on the other side. But then in a lot of cases, I think this happens sort of automatically and unconsciously. We give people that we know and like the benefit of the doubt. And often those are the folks who are on our team or in our party.

A lot of times people do engage in this willful misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the minds of people on the other side. But then in a lot of cases, I think this happens sort of automatically and unconsciously. We give people that we know and like the benefit of the doubt. And often those are the folks who are on our team or in our party.

And we can interpret or understand those events very, very differently. So if you imagine that somebody in your party is being accused of some transgression, you might start to seek alternative explanations for why they did what they were accused of doing.

And we can interpret or understand those events very, very differently. So if you imagine that somebody in your party is being accused of some transgression, you might start to seek alternative explanations for why they did what they were accused of doing.

And we can interpret or understand those events very, very differently. So if you imagine that somebody in your party is being accused of some transgression, you might start to seek alternative explanations for why they did what they were accused of doing.

Whereas if you heard the same story of somebody committing a crime on the other side, then you might automatically take that story description at face value that they're guilty.

Whereas if you heard the same story of somebody committing a crime on the other side, then you might automatically take that story description at face value that they're guilty.

Whereas if you heard the same story of somebody committing a crime on the other side, then you might automatically take that story description at face value that they're guilty.

We ran a series of studies in which we tested American Democrats and Republicans and also Palestinians and Israelis in the Middle East, and we gave them examples of acts of aggression in both of those cases and asked our participants to attribute motives.

We ran a series of studies in which we tested American Democrats and Republicans and also Palestinians and Israelis in the Middle East, and we gave them examples of acts of aggression in both of those cases and asked our participants to attribute motives.

We ran a series of studies in which we tested American Democrats and Republicans and also Palestinians and Israelis in the Middle East, and we gave them examples of acts of aggression in both of those cases and asked our participants to attribute motives.

And what we found, which is maybe not so surprising, but was very consistent across those different groups of people, was that people were more likely to attribute acts of aggression performed by their own group to in-group love. People are just trying to defend their own values and their own people, whereas people would attribute those same acts of aggression performed by an out-group

And what we found, which is maybe not so surprising, but was very consistent across those different groups of people, was that people were more likely to attribute acts of aggression performed by their own group to in-group love. People are just trying to defend their own values and their own people, whereas people would attribute those same acts of aggression performed by an out-group

And what we found, which is maybe not so surprising, but was very consistent across those different groups of people, was that people were more likely to attribute acts of aggression performed by their own group to in-group love. People are just trying to defend their own values and their own people, whereas people would attribute those same acts of aggression performed by an out-group

to outgroup hatred. They're doing this to retaliate. They're doing this to attack us. And so it's very interesting that we see this asymmetry in how people are attributing motives underlying the very same actions, depending on whether those acts are being performed by people on our side or people on the other side.

to outgroup hatred. They're doing this to retaliate. They're doing this to attack us. And so it's very interesting that we see this asymmetry in how people are attributing motives underlying the very same actions, depending on whether those acts are being performed by people on our side or people on the other side.