Is depolarization possible

Published:November 01, 2024

Author:Kristi Flaherty

ND Experts

Notre Dame political scientist studies cross-partisan chat discussions

Erin Rossiter is willing to stick her hand in the sizzling-hot fire of political discussions in a deeply polarized America.

The Notre Dame political scientist is more courageous than most, but her research has found surprising results-that people who have cross-partisan discussions often feel more positive about the other side after their experience. Still, the experiment is likely safer under her supervision than trying it at your extended family dining table at Thanksgiving.

Rather than survey people on how they feel about their own political discussions, Rossiter matches people from different political beliefs for online chats. Then she can analyze the discussions to see how they unfold and gauge the participants' reactions afterward.

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• Research